Future Diary:Existence
by unseenmemory
Summary: What would happen if Amano, Yukiteru's existence was erased? What would happen to the world and importantly, to Yuno? OCxYunoGasai Rated M: For language, and for future lemon scenes.
1. Chapter 1 - The Survival Game Begins

**_BZZZZT! BZZZZZT!_**

Huh? What is that? Is that my alarm? I'm so sleepy. Give me five more minutes.

_Good grief. Wake up. _

Ah, crap. That's Jotaro Kujo's line, and it only means one thing. I'm so late for school. I quickly opened my eyes. I slowly reached out for my alarm clock as I laid flat on my single bed. _Click!_ There we go. Wait. It's already 7:45am?! I quickly sat up, ran out of my room and headed straight to bathroom. I quickly took off my clothes and turned on the shower.

"SHIT!" I yelled out as the hot water scorched my skin. Good grief indeed. I quickly evaded the torrent of hell's fire and adjusted the shower valve. Slowly, the water's temperature became warm. I let the warm water flow across my entire body. Hm. These scars that I have never fail to amuse me.

After some few minutes, I got out of the shower. I took a towel from the rack and quickly dried myself up. After drying myself up, I hurriedly went out. I entered my messy bedroom and opened my black wardrobe. I quickly took out a boxer short, white long-sleeve, black straight cut jean, and a pair of socks. I hurriedly dressed myself up while avoiding the mess inside my room.

Before going out, I stared at the mirror to fix my hair. I stared blankly at my tired face. My deep blue eyes reflected my weariness. My black, side-brushed, hair is messy as always. The long scars on the bridge of my nose and on my left jaw stood out more than usual.

My name is NOHIRU, TOSHIRO.

Sixteen years old. Male. Average build with well-defined muscles. Standing 5 feet and 8 inches tall. 2 scars on my face, and 9 on different parts of my body, which in total, 11 scars from different types of wounds and injuries. Currently living alone, or should I say, currently hiding on unit 823 of Sakurami Condominium.

I may look like a normal rowdy male teenager, but I have lived a terrible life.

I lost my parents at a young age of 5. My uncle took me in. For 9 years, he trained me. He molded me into something he always wanted; a weapon. I became a living weapon that would always follow his instructions, and would always be loyal to him. I became a living weapon that has no feelings or remorse. He would usually beat me up till I can no longer stand. There were nights that I couldn't even sleep at all thanks to the pain. I had bruises, wounds, and cuts in every corner of my body. He insists that it is necessary so that my body's pain threshold would improve.

Bullshit.

He just likes to torture people, to be the top-dog, the superior one. His personality is befitting to his field of expertise. He was my biological father's assassin. He was the one who always kept his hands dirty during a job.

As I walked towards my school, I kept on remembering the past. A year before, I finally snapped. I had it with all the shit he made me go through. He could no longer offer me anything. I got everything I could get from him. In one sparring session, I gave in to my desires. With one fell swoop, I connected a strong right hook on his throat. The mere impact dislodged his throat and knocked him out. Within a few seconds, he died. As I slowly regained my senses, I saw my auntie holding his lifeless corpse, screaming, and cursing at me. I quickly ran away and hid somewhere in the city.

He might be a brutal person, but he and my auntie were the only one who ever gave me company for these past 10 years. I never had a friend. I never had the time. Contracts after contracts, person after person, I slowly lost any interest getting attached to anyone. I no longer care for anything than myself. Besides, who would accept me? No one will accept a bloodthirsty person like me.

While hiding, I enrolled to Sakurami Highschool. My ex-informant helped me get in and erased any connections that I have with my uncle. This is my only chance to get a normal life. So far, attending school helped me to manage my sanity. Even though my school life was a chore and people shunned me for being too quiet, I found it pretty relaxing than my previous life. I can't blame the people from shunning me though. I really don't know how to interact with other people.

I reached the school gates. I still have 5 minutes before the bell. As I reached the locker area, I noticed someone behind me. I took a glance behind before going up the stairs. I saw a girl smiling and laughing as she was being surrounded by her friends. I'm pretty envious of her. Wait. I know her.

Before the end of my first year of my school life, we had a future career survey. Most of my classmates quickly answered and left the room. In the end, it was me and one of my classmates was left inside the room. The survey really made me think. Do I still have a future? Do I have the rights to say that I deserve a future? I literally froze as I kept questioning myself in my head. It was no use. I couldn't even answer myself. "To hell with this." I said to myself. Without thinking, I started to write something on the paper. "I want to be happy." Well, that was random. It sounds so plain and stupid.

"Can't think of anything to write down?"

A voice startled me. As I looked back, my remaining classmate stood behind me. GASAI, YUNO. 14 years of age. She has long, pink hair with pigtails. She's intelligent, popular, and beautiful. As she stood behind me, her hair swayed as the wind gently passed by us. Her pretty pinked eyes stared at my dead deep blue eyes.

She then went closer to me. She took a glance on my paper. "You want to be happy? That seems quite plain and common." She commented with a smile. "It's better than nothing." I replied as I looked away from her. "How about this; we'll try to be happy together?" She suggested. I really thought it was a joke, like a sarcastic comment. I tried to act normal and played along. "That is pretty possible if you're my-"

She cuts me off. She then proceeds to write something on my paper.

_I will be Nohiru-kun's little bride._

She'll be my bride? I wasn't even thinking of that earlier. I thought she'll be my friend or something. Still, she shouldn't joke around like that. She'll get my hopes up.

"Pft. Alright then. I'll be your husband once we're old enough." I replied as I gave her a fake smile. Wait. She's blushing? Was she really serious?! I turned my face away once more as I noticed the redness of my cheeks. I got flustered, which is something very unlike me. "I look forward to our future then!" She replied with a smile.

That was our last interaction together. After that, we never spoke to one another again for a year. I knew it. She was just playing around with me. She wasn't serious at all. I tried talking to her countless times, but she would always avoid me. Man. I'm such a dumbass. It was too good to be true. I will never expect anything again.

_You don't need her. You don't anyone. No one can understand you. _

The day passed by like a blur. School was a chore. I sat down on my bed and stared blankly on the wall. I guess it's time to go back to my "place". A place that I created from my very own figments of imagination. A place where I could be with my only "friends". I slowly closed my eyes.

"Am I right, Deus?"

The moment I re-opened my eyes, I was welcomed by a familiar place; The CASUALTY CATHEDRAL. The cathedral was eerie and had this violet fog clouding my vision. I was sitting on my usual metal throne near the middle. In the middle was my imaginary friend, DEUS EX MACHINA. He calls himself as the god of time and space, which is pretty funny if you ask me. He's an imaginary being yet he holds himself that high. Still, he's the only being that listens to my rants.

"Toshiro? Well, aren't you early?"

That voice behind me was MURUMURU, Deus assistant of some sorts. She has a body of a small, dark-skinned, child. She has a long, silver, pig-tailed hair and she wore these weird looking bangles on her wrists. "I didn't have anything to do, so might as well crash the place earlier." I replied as I crossed my legs. "Oh. Toshiro. I didn't notice you. Wait for a bit. I'm just adjusting the casualty rate." Deus said as he tinkered with his contraption. "Take your time." I replied as I brought out my phone and randomly browsed my files.

"You still have that diary of sorts, right?" MuruMuru asked as she peeked behind me. "Yeah. It's my habit. I doubt I will ever stop doing it." I replied as I showed her an entry. My diary is full of entries about my previous contracts. I would jot down the various ways how the contract could end. It's like a preparation for the worst case scenario. I have to give credit to this unusual habit of mine. It did help me survive several close encounters with death.

"Would you be interested joining a game?" Deus asked as he focuses his attention to me. "A game? Of what sorts?" I curiously asked as I rested my chin on top of my fist. "You'll like it. It is an interesting game. I take that you'll be a participant, yes?" He asked once more. I'll just go with his flow. "Alright. I'll tag along." I replied as I gave him a smile.

"You still don't have the initiative to decide on your own, Toshiro?" MuruMuru asked as she floated around me. "Not yet. I'm still getting used to my newly acquired freedom." I replied with a sigh. "Sooner or later, you have to make your own path, idiot." She stated as she messed my hair. "Yeah, yeah. Soon." I replied as I gave her a push. "H-hey! Stop that!" She cried out as she floated away from me. "Hey, Deus. Do I deserve to dream and hope for a brighter tomorrow?" I asked Deus. Deus ignored me and kept on tinkering on his contraptions. "That's a no, huh? Well, I'm already a dead-man." I stated as I gave out a sigh and closed my eyes.

As I opened my eyes, I'm back at my own room. I'm back to this living hell of mine. I felt cold and tired. Hoping that I would return to my imaginary world, I rested my eyes once more. This time around, nothing appeared. The never ending darkness consumed me.

_Are you contended with what you have?_

You know damn well that I don't, Deus. How can I be satisfied with this kind of life? I already gave up my future and my dignity for something I didn't want.

_If given the chance, will you change your future?_

What are you talking about? I don't have any future. "I just want to know when my suffering will end." I replied as I faked a smile.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. Seems like I received a message. I opened my eyes and got my phone out. What? I got a message from Deus? I got curious and opened the message.

_This will decide your death and the deaths of the people around you. This is, the DEATH DIARY. With this, you can finally embrace death, or stare into its eyes and consume it. The choice is yours, FIRST. Welcome to the SURIVIVAL GAME._

"Something that will show my own death, eh?" I said to myself as I closed my phone. This is some weird trick you have there, Deus. I'll play along for a while. Let's see if this will entertain me. I placed my phone on top of the nightstand and lay down. As I stared blankly at the ceiling, I slowly fell into a deep slumber.

**April 22 6:32am** [Alley near Sakurami Condominium]

_A dead body was found. A female, on her early 20s, was cornered and was slashed on her chest thrice. Suspect could have used a trench knife. No foul play could be observed._

Huh? Did I jot this down while I was asleep? The hell is this? A prank? A scam? There's no way that survival game is true. Deus was just joking around, right? It can't be. He's only a part of my imagination. Damn it. I'm losing it. Shake it off, Toshiro. I have to get ready for school. I sat up and went to the bathroom. I washed my faced and stared at the mirror. I have to keep my composure. I can't lose my marbles now. I just started this normal life. I don't want to forfeit this opportunity.

After dressing up, I grabbed a slice of bread and hurriedly went out of my unit. I locked the door and went straight to elevators. As I was walking near the condominium, I saw some policemen by a nearby alleyway. Wait. That entry. My curiosity got the best of me and I decided to take a peek on the crime scene. To my surprise, it was the same thing which was written down on my diary. It was a corpse of a woman with huge slashes on her body. I looked at my watch. It was exactly 6:32am. Creepy. It can't be true. It has to be a coincidence.

As I continued on walking towards my school, I heard a static noise coming from my phone. Weird. I don't recall changing my ringtone. I also felt an uneasy feeling after hearing that noise. I quickly brought out my phone and checked the diary.

**April 22 6:56am** [Intersection near Sakurami Highschool]

_Gasai, Yuno_

_Caught in a car accident and was fatally injured. Broken back and multiple puncture entries on her lungs due to her broken ribs. Killed on impact._

You have to be shitting me. If this thing is real, I have to find her. I quickly glanced at my watch. 6:50am. I'm quite near the highschool, and there's only one intersection that is near the school's vicinity. That has to be the place! I can't dally around and think for anymore possible places! I placed my phone inside my shoulder bag and quickly sprinted towards the intersection. 4 minutes later, I arrived at the intersection. There were some students who were waiting for their chance at the pedestrian crossing. Gasai was nowhere to be seen. Damn it. I knew it. This thing was just a sick joke. There's no way that-

A pink haired girl passed beside me. I heard the revving of an engine from a nearby car. People were shouting. "Look out!" They screamed as the noise of the car grew closer towards me. "GASAI-SAN!" I shouted. Without thinking, I quickly turned around and pulled her towards me. As I caught a surprised girl around my arms, a speeding, black car quickly passed in front of us. Within seconds, the car disappeared from our sights.

I fell down on the concrete pavement with Yuno on top of me. I opened my eyes. People were flocking towards us. "Woah! This kid has some quick reflexes! If he was a second late, that girl could've been caught in a nasty accident!" said by one the passer-by. I take my words back. The diary is real, and this moment proves it.

"N-Nohiru-san.."

I turned my attention to Yuno. She was staring at me and was blushing heavily. I quickly turned red and pushed her aside. Some of the recent passer-by started to whisper to one another. "Seriously? On broad daylight? These kids have no shame." One of them whispered. Yuno sat still and blankly stared at me. Oh god. Is she that embarrassed? I'm so ruined. She might take it the other way around. I saved her, but for her, this is an act of sexual harassment! "I'm so sorry!" I shouted as I quickly stood up and sprinted towards school.

Another day passed like a blur. I kept on checking on the diary. To my surprise, Yuno's entry disappeared. Seems like if I do something that could prevent that, that entry would disappear. There are a lot of unknown names that kept on popping on the entries of my diary, which are probably the names of people around me who would die today. I shouldn't even bother save them. I can't save them all after all. I sat still on my sofa and stared blankly at television. It was turned off and I was just staring at my own reflection. I slowly closed my eyes.

The next moment, I was back in the Casualty Cathedral. As usual, Deus is busy with his unworldly contraptions. "Deus! What the hell is the meaning of this?" I questioned Deus as I showed him my phone. "Ah. Toshiro. Welcome." Deus welcomed me but kept his focus on his task. "Don't give me that treatment. I deserve an answer!" I shouted at him. "Well, you desired to control death, so I have given you the power." He calmly replied. "What are you saying?! You're a figment of my mind! You're just imaginary! You can't-" Before I could finish my sentence, Deus aggressively approached me face-to-face. "If I am a God, imaginary or not, don't you think it's possible for me to create these things within your own thoughts?" He asked.

I felt his unearthly gazed pierced my very soul. He then backs off and went back to his task. I heard MuruMuru laughing at me behind my back. "Take heed, Toshiro. You now share the same fate with your diary. If your diary is destroyed, so will your life. Take care of it, or you will cease to exist." He proclaimed as the Cathedral started to crumble down.

I woke up. It was already midnight. Damn. I got myself into another mess. Am I that prone to these kinds of things? Now my life rests on how I keep my diary/phone safe. How absurd. It's just plain stupid. I brought out my phone and checked the diary. This time around, there filled with different names. Seems like the entries changes every day. Sooner or later, my own name will pop out in here. Sarcastically speaking, the excitement is killing me.

A week passed by. I tried my best to live normally. Gasai, Yuno's name kept on popping in the entries. I did my best to alter her fate. Like I would get her attention before she would go to a certain place. By simply doing that, I changed the ending of that scenario and her entries vanished. It feels weird though. It feels like someone is eagerly trying to kill her. Why would someone try to kill an innocent high schooler like her? Well, the world is corrupted by evil and vermin. Sad to say, I'm one of those vermin that I'm talking about. Even so, I can't answer myself. Why do I desperately save this girl? It feels like I'm acting on my own instinct to save her. I don't even want to save her. What the hell is wrong with me?

As usual, school ended quickly with me noticing it. I was too busy thinking on how I keep my diary safe. I kept on feeling this strange aura inside the room. It's like someone's reading my mind. I managed to notice that Yuno kept on looking at me. Did she notice that I actually saved her for the past days? It just feels like she knows something. I shrugged off my feeling of uneasiness and went out of the room. As I was near the stairs, I remembered that I forgot my notes on my desk, so I went back to the classroom. As I passed by Yuno's desk, something caught my attention, which was a small clay figure. If I could remember correctly, Yuno was sculpting something during our math test. What a weird girl. Wait a second. That figure. That's MuruMuru! The feeling of uneasiness and paranoia intoxicated my mind. How?! How was she able to make a figure of MuruMuru?! I thought Deus and MuruMuru was just a figment of my own imagination?! HOW?! Does this mean she's a part of this survival game?! What the hell is happening?! WHA-

_**BZZZT!**_

A static came from my diary. That could only mean one thing. I slowly brought out my phone. I'm hesitant. I have hunch feeling on what I shall see in my diary.

**April 22 18:25** [Inside an unfinished building]

_Nohiru, Toshiro_

_Was chased into an unfinished building in the city. Eventually got cornered by the recent serial killer. Fought bravely but a deep slash destroyed his chances of winning. Died to heavy blood lost._

**DEAD END**

I knew it. My own name popped out. So, I'll die like a cornered rat? Tsk. How fitting for me. It feels like they finally caught up with me. I could fight, but the question is, will that alter my fate? Even so, I feel like this killer is connected to that corpse that I saw a week ago. Tsh. No time to think those trivial details. I have to-

"_I knew it. I knew you were a diary owner, Nohiru-kun."_

I slowly looked back. There I saw, Gasai, Yuno, entering the room through the back door. She was staring at me with a smile on her face. Is she, the killer? Will she be the one who will kill me? The girl who I kept on saving for the past days, will be the one who will kill me today? How ironic. The wheel of fate loves fucking around with me.

Without thinking, I bolted out of the room. My sweat trickled down as I kept on running away. I quickly found myself running through some alleyways in the city. I think I managed to lose her. "Don't run!" a voice shouted in front of me. It was Yuno! How did she arrive into that spot faster than me?! Damn it! I can't escape! Something inside me is stopping me to fight! Where this cowardliness came from?! DAMN IT ALL! "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I shouted as I bolted towards a different direction.

I reached a construction site. I hurriedly went inside the elevator and pressed the 14th floor button. I leaned my back on the elevator wall as I tried to catch my breath. As the elevator doors were closing, a hand stopped it. As the doors open, there stood, Gasai, Yuno, in front of me with her phone on her hand. She slowly entered the elevator. Her eyes were fixated on me. "Did you noticed, Toshii?" she asked as she shows her phone to me. Wait. Is this possible?! She's like me. She's a diary owner?!

How could this be happening?! My body is literally shaking. If I fight now, I would sacrifice this normal life that I yearned so hard for, but I can't let her kill me like this! The doors closed and the elevator started to move upwards. I can't escape! I frantically reached out for my cutter inside my bag. "You won't do it." Yuno stated as she remained calm and kept her fixated look on me. Don't tell me she could read my mind! Damn it all! As I finally grabbed on to my cutter, Yuno threw herself to me. Her hands grabbed on to my polo's collar. Before I could react, I felt something moist landing on my lips.

She kissed me.

My whole body froze. "You won't stab me." She stated as she pulled her lips away from mine and stared at my deep blue eyes. "W-why? Why can't I do it?" I murmured as the shock of her action was still in effect on my body. "You won't stab me. That's what the future says." She replied. "Future? How? How do you know my future?" I frantically asked once again. In her reply, she warmly smiled at me. "Well, for starters, you got it all wrong, Toshii." She said as she coldly looked at the glass wall of the elevator. "There he is." She said as her eyes stared at a male figure on a lower level of the structure.

The man wore a big, black hat on top of his head, a black trench coat, military-grade boots, and a gasmask on his face. "Is he, the serial killer in the news?" I asked Yuno. "Correct. He's the third DIARY OWNER. He's the THIRD." She replied without removing her stare on the man. Third. I remember Deus calling me First on his message. Does that mean I'm the first diary owner? "By seeing your future, I knew he was the one would kill you here." She stated. "Huh?" I murmured. With that, Yuno flipped her blue phone open and showed me her diary entries.

_**April 28 18:10 **_

_Toshii runs down a street in the 2__nd__ district. The 3__rd__ is running after him. I have to save him!_

_**April 28 18:20**_

_Toshii is cornered at the 14__th__ floor of a unfinished building. He is wounded badly, but is still fighting Third. Hold on, Toshii!_

_**April 28 18:30**_

_Toshii is…._

Those entries are all about me. "This is my Future Diary, the TOSHIRO DIARY. I can read your future every 10 minutes. It is future diary of love." She explained as she gave me a smug. Every ten minutes?! Are you saying that for the past week, she's been keeping tabs on me in every ten minutes? She's one hell of a stalker! "Your future belongs to me, Toshii." She stated as the elevator doors opened. Before I could even move, she then presses the 17th floor button. "Wait! Why did yo-" "I'm pretty sure you heard me. If you go down on the 14th floor, you'll die." She stated. Damn it. I can't escape from this. It feels like I got shackled to her!

As we reached the 17th floor, Yuno quickly pulled me towards the stairs. "Why are we going to the rooftop?! Isn't that a death trap?!" I frantically asked her. "We can't escape him. Remember, he has a diary of his own. So no matter what we do, he'll eventually catch up to us." She replied as she opened the door of the rooftop. As I quickly closed the door and looked for something to block the door, Yuno gave out a huge sigh and stretched her arms. How could she be that relaxed during a scenario like this?! "Hey. Help me out, will you? Look for anything we could use to block the door." I asked her as I grabbed on to my cutter. "Doesn't this remind you of anything, Toshii?" She asked. "What are you-"

_Doesn't this remind you of the thrill of putting your life on the line?_

As I heard those words, something inside me ignited. Something I tried to bury started to crawl back up from its grave. The utter excitement and adrenaline that I get from gambling my life, started intoxicated my mind. Looks like no matter how hard I try to run, my past will always catch up with me. Looks like I have no choice.

"Gasai-san. Please call my number and put it on video call. After connecting, place your phone under that block of wood." I said as I waited for her call on my phone. "Alright." She said as she quickly dialled my number. As her call connected, she placed her phone under the blocks. "Now, hide behind the blocks. By the time he reached this place, wait for my command. We'll take him by surprise!" I stated as I approached the scaffolding on the side of the rooftop.

Yuno followed my command. She hid behind the blocks while I hid behind the wooden partitions on the scaffolding. I heard the swung open. I could clearly hear the heavy footsteps of our enemy. I could clearly see his location with Yuno's phone. As he brings out his diary to check the entry, I tapped on the wooden partition, which was Yuno's signal. Yuno quickly dashed out and surprised Third. Within an instant, I popped out and threw my cutter towards him.

The cutter pierced through his phone. I was aiming for his neck, but that will do. At least I could take away his diary. "What the hell?!" He shouted in disbelief as he lost the ability to check his diary. Suddenly, the space around him became distorted. His arms started to twist and disappear inside a void. He screamed in pain and agony as his body slowly twisted and disappear. In an instant, our assailant vanished in the thin air. It's like his EXISTENCE got erased from this world. Is this, the consequences of losing your diary in this game? What the hell is happening?

"Was that it? That was a bore." Yuno said as she gave out a yawn. This girl just helped me kill somebody, and she isn't even fazed about it. Don't tell me that wasn't her first time to kill someone. My body froze as I kept on staring at her. Will she attack me? Is she an ally, or my foe? I'm hesitating. I could strike now, but again, there's something inside of me stopping my action. "Hm? It's still quite early. Hey, Toshii. Want to grab something for dinner?" She asked me as cheerfully grabbed on to my trembling hands.

_Now all the participants are here, we shall now officially start the survival game!_

I stood in one of the pedestal in Deus' realm, which surrounded the god of time and space, who was in the middle. My clothes changed into something similar I used to wear back when I was working for my father, which were a black hoodie, black cargo pants, and black military-grade boots. As far as I can see, there are 11 pedestals, and each pedestal stood a silhouetted figure. Their faces are well silhouetted so I can't really say who I am going up against.

"As you may know, this is a survival game! It will be down to last person standing! Your lives rest on your diaries! Track one another and destroy your opponent's diary! The last person standing will receive my title, the title of GOD!" Deus exclaimed with some weird hand gestures. "How does this FUTURE DIARY works?" The man on 10th pedestal asked Deus. "It is quite simple. Each of you has a different future diary. Corresponding on your diary's special feature, you could see your future in its own way. Now, if you do something that will alter or void the entry in your diaries, which will basically, change your fate." Deus explained.

That's odd. If I heard Deus correctly, our diaries should be about ourselves, but for me and Yuno, it's about the people and around me, and about me, respectively. Should I ask Deus? By asking him right now, I would bluntly proclaim my diary's and Yuno's diary's abilities to our opponents. Wouldn't that give them the advantage on us? I shrugged my doubt and remained silent.

"Today, we have witnessed a miracle! FIRST, you should have died earlier, but you managed to pull out an ace from your sleeve and cheated death once more! Due to that, you're my favourite in winning this survival game!" Deus proudly exclaimed as the other player's attention shifted to me. I felt their gaze piercing right through me. Well, it wasn't a single effort of mine that took out Third. If Yuno didn't come along, I'm pretty sure I would have died back there. I looked on the pedestal next to me, stood Yuno. Even though she's well silhouetted, I felt her smile as she looked at me. What an odd girl.

"This discussion is adjourned! Go and fight!" Deus ordered. One by one, the players vanished, but before they vanished, each of them had statement on me.

"Oh? So First will be our biggest adversary in the game? That sounds exciting!" The odd-looking man on the 12th pedestal gleefully stated.

"You cannot stop me, First." The stern-looking man on the 11th pedestal proudly proclaimed. "It is an honour, First." The classy-looking man on the 10th pedestal said as he bowed.

"Don't you dare dying before I could I kill you, punk." The aggressive-looking woman on the 9th pedestal stated.

"Goodluck, First!" The short woman on the 8th pedestal stated.

"Hm? Looks like I have to beat your ass." The tall man with a weird hairstyle on the 7th pedestal taunted me.

"You look quite unfazed. I find you quite interesting." The young woman on the 6th pedestal gracefully stated.

"We'll play soon, big bro!" The young kid on the 5th pedestal cheerfully stated.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you." The sharp looking man on the 4th pedestal calmly proclaimed.

As all of them vanished, I reappeared inside the Casualty Chamber. I found myself kneeling down in despair as I got caught up in another death game. Back then, I was doing it for my father, and now, I'll kill once again just to live another day. Isn't that ironic? I'm doing my best to live out my new normal life and this survival game just destroys that opportunity. I clenched my fist in anger and slammed it hard on the floor. "Damn it all! Why me?!" I angrily shouted as I kept hammering the floor with my fist. After a while, I stopped and blankly stared on the floor with my dead eyes.

"Don't worry, Toshii."

Wait. That voice. That belongs to Yuno! I slowly turned around to see Yuno staring at me with an intoxicated look on her eyes. She places her hands on her face and gave out a soft excited moan. Even though there's the purple fog clouding my vision, I could clearly see her blushing as she kept fixated on me. "Yuno will protect you." She stated as she gave out another soft excited moan. I am at lost for words. Clearly, this girl, is turned on by the fact she'll "protect" me? What kind of situation did I place myself in?

"Alright, Toshii?"


	2. Chapter 2 - An Explosive Encounter

A survival game.

Within a span of a week, the opportunity of having a normal life, disappeared from my grasp. I'm back to where I started. I have to fight and to kill, just to stay alive once more. What the hell was Deus thinking? Aside from that, how did a malevolent being stayed in my mind for quite some time? I really can't believe that he was actually a real being, that he is actually the God of space and time. So, am I a pawn once more; a pawn that Deus could easily throw away?

Pft. I won't allow that. God or not, I will not let him do what he pleases.

Aside from that survival game problem, I have this stalker issue with that certain diary owner, Gasai, Yuno. Who would have thought that the girl that left me hanging a year ago became my stalker? Should I trust her? Her diary is afflicted to my actions. So far, I could say that my diary's ability is to predict the deaths of people in a certain radius within the given day. If I would combine my ability with hers, I could avoid any other dangers or hazards that could jeopardize and kill me.

With her as my ally, we could actually win this game.

Wait. As Deus stated, this game is a last-man standing type of game. If so, I have to take her out sooner or later. The question is, can I do it? There's something about her that I can't pinpoint. Clearly, she's not your typical stalker. After that meeting four days ago, she showed signs of obsession as she kept on murmuring that she'll protect me. What's up with her? Even so, I really doubt that she remembers our alleged promise to one another.

"_I will be Nohiru-kun's little bride."_

"_Pft. Alright then. I'll be your husband once we're old enough."_

Tsh. I shouldn't expect anything. I shouldn't forget my motto.

_Trust will only betray you. Hope will only disappoint you._

I shouldn't forget that in the end, you're alone in this world. No one will be there for you when everything is on the line. That's something I learned the hard way. I need friends? Pft. Don't make me laugh. There is no such thing. There is only you, your goal, and the people who share your vision, which makes them your accomplices.

Nothing more, nothing less.

I slowly opened my eyes. I managed to turn off my alarm before it could even ring. Seems like I woke up earlier than the usual, but I feel so drained out. Probably because of that girl kept on emailing me last night. I don't remember giving my address to her. I wonder how she got it. Even so she's my creepy stalker, I tried to establish a partnership with her by replying to her mails. At first it was pretty okay, but as we soon ran out of topics, she became redundant with her questions, which actually ticked me off a bit.

"_Are you asleep, Toshii?"_

"_Toshii. Let's talk a bit more."_

"_Toshii. Don't sleep yet."_

Tsk. Now I'm having a headache. I shrugged off my slight dizziness and went out to prepare for my classes. I don't want to be late for my class.

The noon bell rang my ears. It's already lunch time? I didn't notice that I fell asleep during our morning classes. I do remember hearing that our homeroom teacher is absent for today, which is something that doesn't happen usually. I rubbed my eyes and stretched for a bit. I saw Yuno by the corner of my eye. She was preparing her things for her PE class. I do wonder. Why is chasing me around? Why did she become my stalker? My curiosity got the best of me. I stood up and approached her. "Hey, Gasai-san." I greeted her as I fixed my messy hair. She looked at me and gave no reaction. Huh? What's her wrong with her? "Gasai-"

"Please. Call me Yuno, alright? Nohiru-kun?" Yuno as she gave a slight smile at me. "Uh. Okay, Yuno. Can I ask something?" I asked her with a bit of awkwardness in my voice. "I'm sorry, Nohiru-kun. I have my PE class coming right up. I'll make some time for you later, okay?" She said as she grabbed her things and quickly went outside of the room.

Wow. Four days ago, she helped kill a man, and now, she's acting like nothing happened. How I envy her. Guilt has been a thorn in my side for years. No matter what I do, I can't remove it from my system. It pisses me off.

I noticed that I was left alone in the room. I was about to get my lunch when someone knocked on the door. I took a look behind me before I sat down on top of my table with my lunch on my hand and my phone strapped on my wrist. It was a girl who had fluffy purple hair; which were tied into side pigtails, and was wearing a white Lolita outfit. She has an average height, and is probably a few inches shorter than me. Not to mention, she looks foreign. "Is Hiriyama-sensei around?" She asked me as she enters the room. "No. He's absent today." I replied as I took a bite on my sandwich.

"Oh? Is that so?" She asked as she approached the teacher's table. There's something odd about her. "Hey. I've heard that Hiriyama-sensei is the serial killer in those recent cases." She stated as she slowly approached me. Huh? What the hell did she just say? Our homeroom teacher was the serial killer; which makes him the THRID diary owner? "Really? I didn't know that. I didn't check the news last night." I replied as I took another bite on my sandwich to shrug off my uneasiness. "Yes. Hiriyama, Takao is the serial killer. He is also the third diary owner. His diary is the MURDER DIARY." She stated as her face moves closer to mine. "I don't know what you're talking about, but that sounds-"

"Do you believe in miracles; that could actually cheat death?"

In that instant I realized it. There's no way she couldn't be participant. She's a diary owner just like me, and she's hunting me down! I quickly threw my sandwich aside and tried to move back. She quickly grabbed on to my wrist. "Nice phone you got there!" She stated as she gave me a big smile after she inspected my phone. "Tsh!" I cried out as I yanked my arm away from her. I grabbed my bag and walked backwards toward the back door.

"TOSHII!"

_**BZZZZT!**_

That voice. That was Yuno's. I bet her diary picked something up. Also, a static came from my diary. I can't look at it since I have this diary owner in front of me at the moment. "I got you, First!" She shouted out with a smile on her face. I grabbed on to my cutter and threw my bag away. There's nothing valuable inside, so I could come back for it later. I shouldn't let her take the first strike. Before she could do it, I have to take her down! As I was about to charge in with my blade, Yuno barges in with a fire extinguisher, and tries to strike my opponent. Unluckily, the girl easily evaded her attack and jumped towards the open window. "Your flag is up, First! Prepare to die to me, NINTH, MINENE, URYUU!" She shouted as she jumped out of the window. Before I could check my diary, Yuno suddenly grabbed me, and pushed me towards the hallway. As we tumbled on the floor, I then heard explosions coming from the classrooms along the hall.

_**BOOOM!**_

The heat slowly subsided. I slowly opened my eyes. Yuno was on top of me. She saved me once again. Our faces were dusty because of the explosions. She sat up and brushed away some of the dust on her face and on her PE uniform. Surprisingly, she was unharmed from the explosions. "Are you alright, Toshii?" She asked as carefully checked me. "Yeah. Thanks for saving me." I replied as slowly sat up. As I sat up and brushed away the dust from my face and clothes, I then remembered who our opponent is.

Minene, Uryuu. I've heard her name before when I was still working for my father. She was a well-known terrorist in the Middle East. Why would she be here in Japan at this moment? Talk about bad luck. I didn't expect someone of her caliber to be in this game. I know that I can hold my ground against any type of assassins, but I'm not that confident when dealing with a bomb expert like her. She's too resourceful, which would probably give us a hard time taking her down.

"Thank goodness. Don't worry. I'll definitely kill her!" She stated as she caressed my face. As I looked into her pink eyes, I could say she's really serious. Why would this girl go all out and try to save me? I'm practically a dead-man walking. She takes the word "killing" so lightly. Is she that accustomed to it? Did she actually kill someone before, like me? "Yuno." I murmured. "I'll protect you, Toshii. No matter what happens, I'll protect you. I'll do anything for you, Toshii." She stated as she locked her arms around my neck and hugged me.

She's really that serious about protecting me. She's putting her life on the line just to save me. Without a doubt, she's my ally, and if not, I have to make her fight alongside me.

"Fight with me, Yuno."

She pulls her head back. Her pink eyes stared into mine. "Alright, Toshii." She replied as she gave me a smile. Without hesitating, I locked my lips onto hers. Her soft lips were so tender. As we exchanged a kiss, her hands were caressing my face while I held onto her hips. After a while, we pulled our heads back and stared into each other's eyes. Wait. We shouldn't be doing this right now. We have a well-known terrorist as our opponent and we're here kissing each other. Yuno seemed to notice and moved away from me. "Shall we go?" She asked me nervously as she tried to hide her embarrassment. "Yeah. I think we should." I replied as looked away to hide my flustered face.

We sneaked our way across the hallway. I could hear Ninth shouting out for us with a megaphone. I want to peak through the window, but it's too dangerous. She could easily spot us and detonate a bomb near our position. Yuno grabbed a piece of broken glass and used to scope out Ninth's exact location. "She's in the courtyard. It seems like the other students are trapped in their classrooms in the other building." She stated as she placed the shard down. "Alright. Wait. I'll check my diary." I said as I brought out my phone.

**May 2 12:30** [Sakurami Highschool]

_Nohiru, Toshiro_

_Lost his legs as an explosion triggered as he tried to use the stairs._

_An explosion occurred near his position as he sneaked his way through the hallway with Second. Died to 3__rd__ degree burns_

_Blasted by an explosion as he went down on a rubble. _

_Was shot in the head by a detective._

_Stepped on a mine and lost his legs._

_Couldn't stop Ninth in time and died when Ninth triggered all of the explosives she planted in the school._

**DEAD END**

Wait. What's this? The last time I saw my entry, and Yuno's, there's only one scenario listed! Could it be that these are the possible outcome which will lead to my death? I can't believe it. My habit of jotting down possible scenarios back then is now my diary's ability! As Yuno was about to approach the stairs, I quickly grabbed on to her wrist. "Not there." I stated as I gave her a stern look, which hinted her that we should continue sneaking in the hallway. She nodded and proceeded to crouch-walk through the hallway. I followed her closely.

We stopped near a classroom. Yuno took some time to survey our environment. There were no new entries in my diary. "So, if we do something that would prevent the diary's entry, we could change our future, right?" I asked her as I strapped my phone on my left wrist. "Yes. It's that simple. Luckily, your Death Diary could tell us how we could die. With that, we could keep on cheating death." She replied as she turned around to face me.

_**BZZZZT!**_

A static came from my diary. "Another entry. How is it possible for our future to change without us doing anything?" I asked myself. ""When Ninth changes her future, ours changes, as well." Yuno stated.

**May 2 12:45** [Sakurami Highschool]

_Nohiru, Toshiro_

A bomb exploded in classroom 2-C. The flames scorched his face. He eventually died.

The bomb in the hallway remotely detonated, which took his life.

**DEAD END**

"Classroom 2-C." I murmured as I read my entry. Yuno quickly glanced at the sign of the room beside us. "Toshii!" She shouted as she pushed me down. The explosion inside the room nearly took us out.

"What comes next?!" Yuno quickly asked me. "The hallway! There's a bomb in the hallway!" I shouted as I quickly stood up and pulled her towards the staircase. We hurriedly went up the stairs. The heat of the explosion in the hallway grazed through my back.

We kept on running around the hallways. Explosion after explosion, entries after entries, we did our best to avoid our deaths. We stopped inside a room with a hole on the floor. We could use this to go down to the 2nd floor. Yuno went down first. As she surveyed the room, I descend down with the use of some rubble. Wait. A rubble? OH SHI-

Before I could move away from the rubble, a bomb detonated in a room behind us. The force threw me to the middle of the room. I felt a burning sensation on back. Without thinking, I quickly took off my black jacket and threw it across the room. I was right. My jacket caught fire thanks to the explosion. "Toshii! Are you alright?!" Yuno asked me as she hurriedly went to my side. "Yeah. Just some minor burns, I hope." I replied as I shrugged off the pain and sat up. As I was about to stand up, a bomb detonated on top of us. Before I could do anything, Yuno quickly pushed me down on to the floor.

As the dust clears, I clearly Yuno shielded me once again. "Yuno…" I murmured. I can't believe it. She risked her life once again to save mine. "Why are you still hesitating, Toshii? You can use me." Yuno stated as she sat down beside me. Her words left me stunned. I never wanted to use her. Why is she thinking like that? I don't want to use her like how my father used me!

_You never changed. _

_Back then, you used the people around you to fulfill your end of the bargain. Innocents, bystanders, you used anyone. Nothing stood between you and your target. That's why you got the title of "Messenger of Death". Whenever they saw you, they knew what's coming. Stop hesitating, landlord. Use this girl._

_USE HER TO SURVIVE!_

That voice.

I clenched my head in pain. "Toshi?!" Yuno shouted out as she saw me in pain. That voice. That was clearly my voice, but it came from my head. Am I, that insane? Am I that far gone? Please! No! I don't want this! "Toshii. You're crying." Yuno said as she used her hand to wipe away my tears. I then felt my tears coming down from my eyes. "Sorry, Yuno. I'm a total mess." I said as I wiped my tears. If she'll be ally, I have to come clean with her.

"You know, I really believed that I'm really alone in this world. I don't have any friends. I lost my family at a young age. I really don't know what's in store for me in the future. I'm scared, Yuno. I'm really desperate to see things get better. I never wanted this kind of life." I stated as I sat down. "Now, I have this whole survival game problem, and the normal life that I worked so hard for, disappeared in a blink of an eye. Damn it. Damn it all!" I stated as I angrily pounded my fist on to the floor.

"Toshii. It's not yet over." Yuno said as she pulls out her phone. "What do you mean by that?" I asked her. "With our diaries, we can tell everything that'll happen to our surroundings. You'll be invincible, Toshii!" She stated as she shows me her entries. It's really all about me. "You won't die. You'll live through this. You'll have your normal life back!" She stated with a smile. My normal life? I could get it back? I gave out a faint smile and slowly stood up. If what she's saying is true, then I would risk it all once again. I don't want to go back to what I was before.

_A murderer with no remorse._

"Please take care of me, Yuno." I stated as I reached out for her. "Yeah. I will, Toshii!" Yuno happily replied as she took my hand and stood up.

We managed to reach the other side of school. Somehow, things went quiet and there were no new entries from our diaries. I shrugged the feeling of uneasiness, and went on with Yuno. As we were about to enter the corridor through the stairs, I saw two of classmates, Igarashi, Ryota and Kosaka, Ouji, walking around the corridor. "Yuno, is there anything new in your diary?" I asked as I hesitated to enter the corridor. "No new entries, Toshii." Yuno replied as she showed me her diary.

**May 2 12:55**

_Toshii met up with our classmates and teachers. I could see a sign of relief from Toshii's face!_

After reading the entry, I gave her a nod and smiled at her. "Oy! Kosaka! Igarashi! The hell are you guys doing here?" I shouted out as I proceeded to approach them. As they slowly turned their heads towards me, my uneasiness intensified. If Ninth was holding them as hostages and placed a sensor bomb in each classrooms, why would these two be outside-

_**BZZZZZT!**_

As I heard a static coming from our diaries, the door beside me opened. Before I could react, two male teachers tackled me. They pinned my arms and body down on the floor. "What the hell?!" I shouted out as Kosaka and Igarashi took away my diary. "No! Toshi!" Yuno shouted as she tried to push away the teachers who were holding me down. Unlikely, the two teachers overpowered her and dragged her away towards a classroom.

My two classmates dragged me towards the stairs. My body won't move. I can't fight back. My body is too paralyzed to function. The shear shock of finding out that these classmates of mine would betray me without any hesitation was too much. I can't believe that this world is too cruel.

As we reached the courtyard, Kosaka pinned my body on the ground as Igarashi approaches a landmine with my diary. He placed my diary beside the landmine then moved away from the area of the landmine. "Looks like your classmates betrayed you, First!" Ninth shouted out as she tries to taunt me. I could feel my strength slow returning but if I fight back now, Ninth would just trigger the landmine to explode, thus destroying my diary. I must wait for the right moment to attack, but will that moment ever come?

"Any last words, First?!" Ninth asked as she prepared herself to press the trigger. I could feel my sweat falling down from my face. "Fuck you." I replied as I resorted to my last option, which was to agitate her and draw her in towards a trap. "Heh. Well then. You'll die no-"

**BOOOOM!**

_**BZZZZT!**_

As Ninth was about to press the trigger, a series of bombs triggered on the 3rd floor. "What the hell was that?!" Ninth shouted out as she found herself surprised by the series of bombs. My two classmates ran off, leaving me free to move once again. I slowly sat up. My diary kept on buzzing with static. Within that split second, a number of students and teachers were killed due to those series of explosions. Who would be brave enough to trigger those-

Yuno.

I hurriedly surveyed the surroundings. I don't see any pink-haired, PE uniform wearing student running around towards my location. If that's the case, she's probably one of those students who got caught in those explosions. She was the only who believed in me. She believed that I could even change my fate and win the game. I can't believe it. I clenched my fists as my anger slowly built up.

"Well, that was a surprise, First. I was expecting that you'll pull something off, but looks like you're too shaken to move. Well then! It ends-"

**BANG!**

Before Ninth could press the button, she was interrupted once again, but this time, by a bullet that grazed her right half of her ponytails. "Now what?!" She shouted in annoyance and anger as she took a step back.

_Really now, Ninth? The kid's practically shaking and defenseless._

I looked behind me. A tall, middle-aged man approached me. "Greetings, First. I'm the FOURTH. Happy to be your acquaintance." The man politely introduced himself. He's another diary user?! Wait. I do remember someone saying that he'll protect me during the meeting. Was he the one who said that? "Sorry if you got caught in this mess. You see, I'm the real target of Ninth. I'm a detective and my diary is the INVESTIGATION DIARY. It lets me see the future concerning criminal cases within a span of 90 days." He explained as he shifted his attention to Ninth. "So tell me, Ninth. What do you want?" He asked.

Ninth began to laugh as she looked at us intently. "Seriously, Fourth? Isn't it obvious? If you want to save these people, then shoot First and commit suicide! With that, I'll allow these students to live!" She demanded with a smirk on her face. I found myself irritated after hearing her demand, which was something typical from a terrorist. "I, Minene, Uryuu, will become God! I won't let anyone stop me!" She shouted out. There was a brief moment of silence. Fourth then shifted his attention to me. "Fourth?" I asked as he smiled at me. "Sorry First. I have to. We don't have any choices right now." He said as he aims his revolver at my head.

And when I thought I could get out of this mess, this happens. What the hell. My life was just a waste after all. My fighting spirit slowly died down. After all of those hardships that I went through, I'll go down like this? Not to mention, I'll die in the hands of a cop. Tsh. This seems like a fitting end for a criminal like me. "Fourth. If you'll do it, please do make it count." I said as I pressed my forehead on the barrel of the revolver.

"TOSHIIIII!"

_**BZZZZT!**_

That voice! Yuno! I quickly turned towards her voice. Yuno suddenly jumped out from the 2nd floor of the east building. She's aiming at Ninth! She managed to stab Ninth on her right shoulder with a shard of glass. Ninth quickly countered her and knocked her away. As I saw Yuno landing on the ground roughly after Ninth's attack, something inside me clicked. I felt an immense amount of adrenaline surging inside me. Without hesitation, I dashed towards Ninth. She was probably 15 meters away from me. As she was distracted from Yuno's surprise attack, I managed to snag my diary from the ground.

"Damn it! First!" Ninth shouted out as she noticed me charging towards her. If I base her actions from my past experiences, I'm practically running through a minefield that she set up, but I cannot hesitate now. As she was about to detonate the bombs around me, Fourth interrupted her as he kept shooting at her. Ninth had no choice but to focus on avoiding his shots. "Don't stop, First!" Fourth shouted out as he encourages me on. Eventually, Fourth ran out of bullets.

"Toshii! On your left!" Yuno shouted out. What is she talking about?! Is there a bomb on my left or should I go towards the left side?! Damn it! I can't stop right now! As I went to the right side of the path, I heard a static coming from our diaries. Looks like I have to listen to Yuno if I want to reach Ninth! I kept on running towards Ninth, and Yuno kept on shouting the side that I should avoid. Ninth finally noticed that Yuno was also a diary user and tried to disarm her. After a short struggle, she knocked Yuno aside once again, which agitated me once again.

As Yuno fell down, Ninth shifted her focus on me. "FIRST!" She shouted out as she was about to press the button. Yet again, she was interrupted, and this time, a textbook landed on her head. To my surprise, the remaining survivors of the explosion earlier are throwing things at Ninth. This is it! This is the distraction that I needed! I brought out my cutter. "NIIIIIINTH!" I shouted as I threw my cutter towards her diary with all of my might.

"AAAAAARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Ninth's scream echoed throughout the courtyard. Did I manage to hit her diary? Wait. She's holding on to her face. Her diary was left unscratched. As she moved her hands in pain, I managed to see what my cutter landed on. It was her left eye. Blood spewed out from her eye as she pulled the cutter out and threw it on the ground. "DAMN YOU, FIRST! IT FUCKING HURTS!" She shouted out in pain as she held on to her fatal wound. As Fourth approached the injured Ninth, I rushed towards Yuno. "You okay?" I asked her as I inspect her wounds. "I'm fine, Toshii. Just some scratches and bruises." She replied as she slowly sat up. I noticed that Ninth managed to rip the left portion of Yuno's top. I quickly took off my khaki long sleeves and placed it around Yuno. "Someone might see." I said as I tried to give her a warm smile. After realizing what happened to her top, she simply blushed and held onto my long sleeves.

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!"

As I turned around, the courtyard was suddenly filled with smoke. Because of the smoke, I could barely see Fourth or Ninth. "A smoke bomb?!" I shouted out in disbelief. Suddenly, Ninth popped out from nowhere with a motorcycle. "My diary is the ESCAPE DIARY! With it, you'll never catch me!" She shouted out as she accelerated away from the courtyard and into the street.

_**BZZZZT!**_

Another static came from my diary. I quickly brought it out and checked the new entry. My **DEAD END **flag was cleared out. This means I get to live for another day. I simply smiled and placed my diary inside my pocket. "Shall we?" I asked as I reached out for Yuno with my hand. At first she had a confused look on her face, but she eventually smiled and held on my hand.

_I believe we need to properly introduce ourselves._

The warm light from the setting sun lit up the shambling remains of my classroom, as I, Yuno, and Fourth looked around at the rubble around us. In the request of the Fourth, we stayed in the vicinity for a while. "To be clear, I don't have any intentions to be the next God. I just want to stop this mad game." Fourth stated as he stared at the sunset. From his actions and his aura, I can clearly say he's being honest with us.

"I wish to make an allegiance with the two of you. If you two would approve my offer, we'll be called the FUTURE DIARY ALLIGENCE." He stated with a smile. I mustered all of my strength not to laugh at the proposed name. Joking aside, his preposition is probably the most practical one. With him as our ally, we could keep track on the other diary owners if they were to attack us. I looked at Yuno. She simply gave me a nod. "Alright. We accept your offer." I said I approached him.

"KURUSU, KEIGO. Fourth." He introduced himself as he reached out for a handshake.

"Nohiru, Toshiro. First." I introduced myself as I obliged and shook his hand firmly.

I noticed Yuno fell silent and was holding on her phone very firmly. She had a flustered look on her face and kept on blushing. "Yuno? Aren't you gonna introduce yourself?" I asked her. "W-what?" She replied nervously. Is something wrong with her? "Anyways. She's Gasai, Yuno. Second. She's my ally." I said as I pointed at Yuno. "Alright! It is settled! At this moment forth, we are the Future Diary Allegiance. We'll bring an end to this dreadful survival game!" Kurusu vigorously stated with confidence. "Uh. Yeah. Sure." I stated as I tried to ride along with his flow.


	3. Chapter 3 - Her Secret

I could feel a burning sensation across my body. I feel like my whole body is burning though I feel no pain. Is this, fire?

I slowly opened my eyes. I found myself kneeling down on a burning hallway. People were screaming and shouting around me. The classrooms were burning. Bodies were burning. Wait. Did I fail to stop Ninth? We won, right? I managed to subdue her! Then why is this happening?! No matter how hard I try, my body wouldn't move.

_Toshii._

That voice. That was Yuno's! I quickly looked around for her. To my utter shock, I could see a burning corpse in front of me. Her voice came from that direction. No way. It couldn't be! Did Yuno died?! All of these innocent people died because of my failure? What the hell is happening?! I closed my eyes in disbelief. This can't be happening. This cannot be happening!

"I DON'T WANT THIIIIS!" I shouted in fear.

_Are you sure about that?_

That was my voice. I slowly reopened my eyes. The burning environment was gone. The corpses disappeared without any trace. I found myself a few meters away in front of my metal throne at the Casualty Cathedral. A dream. That was just a dream, right? I tried to look around my surroundings. Strange. Normally, Deus and Murumuru would be here. I noticed the fog is thicker than usual. I slowly stood up.

_Well, well. To whom do I owe the pleasure of you visiting me?_

I heard my voice once again. It came in front of me. Now that I fixed my attention on my metal throne, I could see a man's silhouette, sitting on my throne. "Who are you?! Show yourself!" I shouted out. "Easy tiger. Alright, alright. I'm going." The man said as he sat up and slowly approached me. A sudden feeling of uneasiness swelled inside my chest. The man's figure greatly resembled mine. His stance, the way he walks, and the way I could feel his eyes gazing at me. I felt like I'm staring at my own reflection. As the fog slowly lifted, I found myself stunned. My eyes widen as the view of this man cleared up.

That man is me. To be more precise, he looks like how I used to look like when I was still working for my father. Long black hair that covered a portion of the right side of my face, eyes that were set to kill, two scars on his face, and a face that is so blank that you couldn't see any emotions. There's no doubt that this entity, is me. The only difference from our looks is that large horizontal scar that he has on his neck. "What in the world are you?" I asked with a shocked tone. "Hey there, landlord. It's been a while." He said as he gave out a big creepy smile. What does he mean that it's been a while? Wait. If we're inside of my mind, then he's a being that I previously made, right? No. No way. "I erased you! How could you return even if I erased your existence from my mind?!" I furiously asked as I remembered who this entity is.

"Now, that isn't the way you should greet someone that helped you a lot. You should really practice your social skills." He replied as he gave me an unamused look. This is impossible. How can an imaginary entity come back even after he was erased from my mind?! "Looks like I surprised you too much that you couldn't even explain this scenario. Alright then. Time for some re-introductions." The man stated.

"I am the being that you created so that you can hide from your own guilt and sins. You made me carry all of those things as you cower behind me. If I could remember correctly, you named me, SHACO. Am I right, landlord?" He said with a smile on his face. I felt his gazing piercing through me. I cannot deny it. All of the things he just said were true. "Still no response? Looks like I got the landlord pretty good!" He cheerfully stated as his voice was filled with jest. "What do you want?" I asked as I tried to respond to his glare. "Well, I felt that you'll need me once again, so I decided to return to this, lonely mind of yours." He replied as he sat down on my metal throne. "Tsh. To hell with that. I don't need you anymore!" I angrily shouted at him. Within a split second, he vanished.

"I'll make you eat those words, landlord." He whispered to my ear. In a split second, he appeared beside me with his left arm around my neck and his hand on my face. My body froze in shock. "Well. That's all for the introduction, sir. Time for you to leave." He stated as he pushed my face. In that moment, my vision suddenly narrowed down. It felt like I was getting sucked into a vortex. I tried shouting out, but nothing came out from my mouth.

"Huh?!"

I quickly opened my eyes and sat up. Looks like I finally woke up. I'm sweating too much. That can't be true, right? That was just a dream. It has to be. I wiped my sweat with my blanket and then grabbed my phone. I opened it and checked the time. It's just 8:30am. I woke up earlier than usual. I checked my diary. To my surprise, the entries are fewer than usual. Well, I don't think Ninth is capable of doing at the moment. With that kind of injury, I doubt she can quickly recover within 2 days.

I went out of my room and went to the kitchen. I grabbed my cup and made myself a coffee. If I could remember correctly, Kurusu called yesterday. He asked me and Yuno to go do the station later after lunch. He'll give us a briefing and some instructions on how we'll tackle this survival game. Looks like I got some time to spare. I'll just workout till lunch time.

After doing my usual workout, which were push ups, sit ups, crunches, pull ups, and some boxing at my punching bag, I sat down on the sofa and wiped away my sweat. Still no updates from Kurusu or from Yuno. I still can't shrug the feeling of uneasiness after that dream. That being of my pure insanity can't return. If he does, I cannot say what would happen to me, or to Yuno. I have to get my mind straight. I'll just freshen up and I'll get going.

At 12:50nn, I arrived at the police station with Yuno. As we entered the lobby, a brown haired, average build man approached us. "Ah, Nohiru-san. Gasai-san. I'm Nishijima, Masumi, Chief Kurusu's assistant. Chief is waiting for you two at the conference room. I shall escort you there." He said as he greeted us with a warm smile. We went up to the 2nd floor and entered the conference room. There, Kurusu sat at the front of the whiteboard. "Welcome! Take a seat!" He said as he greeted us. Me and Yuno sat down in front of him. "So, what shall we talk about?" I asked as I looked around the room.

"First off, we'll discuss how can lower the casualty rate in this survival game. If we can, we shouldn't let the innocents get tangled up with our current situation. Second, we have to find out who are the remaining seven diary owners." He explained as he stood up and approached the whiteboard. "The only users that we know as of now are, Nohiru Toshiro; the First, Gasai Yuno; the Second, Takao, Hiyama, the late Third, and Minene, Uryuu, the Ninth who's on the run at the moment." He explained as he pointed out at the pictures of us that were presented at the whiteboard. "So, it's like a big game of hide and seek?" I asked. "Actually, yes it is. Anyways, I need you and Gasai to be near the station's premises for today. If ever Ninth or someone else would attack, we wouldn't want to be in a disadvantageous situation. Don't worry. We'll give you guys protection. Anyways. Here, take this." He said as he approached us and handed out two tickets. Huh? Isn't this the ticket for the amusement park? "Um. What's this?" I asked with a confused look on my face. "Tickets for the amusement park near the station. You can bring your date there. Think of it as a chance to get to know each other better." Kurusu stated with a chuckle.

I quickly turned to Yuno. As usual, she was blushing heavily and was avoiding a direct eye contact with me. She looks like she isn't against this. "Alright. I'll just update you if anything happens." I stated as I accepted the tickets. "Good. Well, I have to go. I have a meeting with some officials. You know what to do!" Kurusu said as he ran off. "Is the something wrong?" I asked Yuno as I noticed she was too quiet during the discussion. "Nothing really. Toshii sounded so cool earlier that I focused my attention to you." Yuno smiled with a warm smile. I felt my body tingled after hearing her words. Is she trying to be cute? "Thanks. I guess." I said as I tried to hide my flustered face.

By 1:30pm, we arrived at the amusement park. Yuno cheerfully dragged me around towards the rides. From the roller coaster to the spinning tea cups, we rode one ride to another. As Yuno went to stall to get some ice creams, I sat down in of the resting areas. As I stared blankly at the sky, memories started to flood my mind. Memories when I was still a young kid. If I could remember correctly, that last time I went inside an amusement park was 11 years ago. I was with my mother and my step-father at that time. That was 2 days before that accident. That was my last good memory that I have before I was threw into this dark world. That was the last bit of my childhood.

"Toshii! Quick! Quick! It'll melt!" Yuno said as she ran towards me as she was holding two cones of vanilla ice creams. "Slow down. You might trip." I said as I took one and proceeded to lick it. "Quick! I wanna ride that roller coaster next!" Yuno cheerfully stated as she pointed out the big roller coaster near us. "What? You want me to get a brain freeze or something?" I asked as I tried my best to quickly eat my ice cream. "Come on! Stop whining and let's goooo!" Yuno said as she quickly finished hers and dragged me into the roller coaster ride.

After the coaster ride, Yuno dragged me into a haunted house. "Are you serious?" I asked her in a dumbfounded tone. "What's wrong? It looks fun!" She replied as continued to drag me towards the entrance. "I'm not a fan of these things. The props are pretty good though." I stated as I looked around. Eventually, it was our turn to venture inside the haunted house. Yuno grabbed on to my arm and we slowly walked through the eerie path. As we ventured deeper, the atmosphere became so eerie. "Toshii." Yuno murmured as she hugged tightly my arm. Is she really that scared or is she playing around? "Hey, hey. Too close." I stated as I felt my arm in between of her breasts. She didn't budge. "Yuno-"

_**GAAARGHH!**_

A ghoul prop suddenly popped out beside us! I quickly took a step back. Yuno gave out a shriek as she pushed her head onto my chest. To my surprise, I found my heart beating faster. Did that scared me? Thanks to that, Yuno started to tear up. I can't believe it. She's really that scared. A girl, who helped me kill a man 4 days ago, is actually afraid of ghosts. Well, she's a girl after all. I found myself starting at her face for a few seconds. To be honest, I never really thought that Yuno could be this cute. A stalker girl this cute can't be that bad, right?

_**SHRIEEEEK!**_

A costumed ghost popped out behind us! Me and Yuno screamed in horror and ran away towards the exit. What a bad timing for that person to pop up. I was admiring Yuno's cuteness, sheesh. "Geez. That really scared me a lot!" Yuno stated as she wiped away some tears from her eyes. "Pft. You actually cried." I said with a chuckle. "What's wrong with that?! You were scared too!" She quickly retorted as she pinched my cheek. "Ouch! Ouch! Okay! Okay!" I shouted as I caressed my pinched cheek. Again, I found myself staring at Yuno. "Is there something wrong with my face?" She asked as she frantically fixed her hair and dress. "Not really. I just find you super cute today." I replied with a smile at her. "Thank you.." Yuno murmured as she hid her blushing face.

We stopped by at a snack kiosk. I sat down on one of the chairs at the dining area while Yuno went to kiosk to buy our snacks. As I stared blankly on the table, I suddenly realized how much this day means to me. This is actually the first time that I felt normal. There's no conviction for me to do something since I'm no longer bounded to contracts and brutal trainings such as before. At this very moment, I feel so free. I found myself smiling as I felt utter happiness in my heart. "So this is what it feels like." I murmured to myself.

"Toshii! Here you go!" Yuno said as she placed a tray on top of the table. She ordered a bubblegum soda and two sandwiches. To my surprise, there's only one glass with two straws, which indicates that I must share with Yuno. "Uh. Should I get another glass?" I asked Yuno as I took one of the sandwiches and began to eat it. "Nope! We're gonna share this! Come on, Toshii!" She cheerfully stated as she budged to drink the soda with her. It looks I don't have any other choice. "Alright. Thanks, Yuno." I said with a smile as I obliged to share the soda with her. As me and Yuno began drinking the soda, I suddenly realized that there's no changes to our soda at all. Not to mention, the liquid is a bit slimy to be a regular soda.

"Huh?"

I raised my straw as curiosity got me. To my utter surprise, my straw was connected into Yuno's, which means I was drinking her saliva! "Stop playing tricks on me, Yuno!" I cried out as I tried to hide my blushing face. "You're so cute, Toshii!" Yuno stated as she laughed of my meekness.

After eating our snacks and playing around, we walked around the park once again. "Toshii! Over here!" Yuno shouted as she dragged me towards the water amusement park. As we entered the facility, we were welcomed by a sight full of people wearing swimsuits and such. "I think this is a bad idea." I said to Yuno as we approached the counter. I talked to the staff member as Yuno picked our swimsuits. "It's not! Trust me!" Yuno replied as I paid the staff member. After waiting for a few minutes, our swimsuits finally arrived. Yuno cheerfully dragged me towards the changing rooms. "No escaping, alright? I'll see you by the beach area!" Yuno stated as she merrily went inside the woman's area. "Good grief." I said to myself as I entered the changing area.

Before changing into my swimsuit, I checked my diary for any updates. There's still nothing about us, Kurusu or Ninth. "A peaceful day for us, huh?" I said to myself as opened my rented locker. I quickly changed into my swimsuit and then placed my things inside the locker. From there, I went towards pool area. The inside of the water park is pretty big. Not to mention, the series of pools are pretty long too. They're a lot of people swimming around and having a good time. This isn't a sight I'm used to thanks to my uncle. I then stopped at the beach area. I leaned back on one of the palm trees as I waited for Yuno.

_Toshiii!_

That must be her. As I looked towards the direction of Yuno's voice, the next thing I saw caught me off guard. Yuno was running towards me. She was wearing a green two-piece bikini, which were obviously not her size. Her breasts bounced as she ran towards me. "Kept you waiting?" She asked as she hugged my arm. "Not at all! Not at all!" I nervously replied as I felt my face lit up. Am I blushing that hard?! Luckily, Yuno let go of my arm and moved away for a bit. Seconds passed, and I noticed that she was staring at me. "Is there something wrong?" I asked with a flustered look as I messed around with my hair to distract myself. "Nothing really. It's just that it's my first time to see you topless up close. I didn't knew that you were that buff, Toshii!" Yuno stated as I could clearly see her blushing.

Well, my body is pretty buff thanks to the trainings that I suffered back then. Not to mention, my body is filled with scars due to my unpreparedness in some of my previous contracts. Hopefully, Yuno wouldn't be turned off by that. Wait. Did she say up close? Was she checking me out back then when I was changing into PE uniform?! "Uh. It's because of my training! That's all!" I said with a chuckle as I try to hide myself behind a tree. "Come on, Toshii! No need to be shy! Let's goo!" Yuno shouted as quickly grabbed on to my wrist and dragged me towards the pool area.

Minutes flew by as we swam around the series of pools inside the park. I tried my best not to make any physical contact with Yuno since it might trigger something inside me. Before you would judge me as a pervert, this is actually my first time to be with someone like this, so I can't help it if something inside me would spark. I'm trying my best to adjust to my current scenario though. We stopped near the slides. "Wait for a moment, Toshii. I'll just adjust my top." Yuno stated as she began to fix her top. I can't help but to stare at her breasts. Since I wasn't properly educated at this field, my curiosity for the opposite sex wasn't properly sated. "Geez! They didn't gave me the proper size!" Yuno stated as she is clearly having a hard time fixing her top. "They're big.." I stated.

WAIT. WHAT.

Did I just say that?! Oh god! She'll think that I'm a huge pervert or something! "Wait! It's not what you think!" I frantically shouted as I began to panic. She'll hate me for that! Damn it Toshiro! You and your obnoxious social skills! To my surprise, Yuno didn't react to my out of the blue comment. She just stood there with her arms covering her breasts. "Uh. Yuno. Are you okay? Are you mad?" I nervously asked. "Toshii. My top. It got washed away.." She murmured. Huh? Did she just say that she lost her top? Is she saying that she's practically topless right now?! "What?! Wait! Don't move! I'll look for it!" I frantically shouted out as I began to look around for her top. I can't find it near us. It looks like it really got washed away. The unexpected turn of events baffled me very badly.

"Wait here! I'll go look for-"

"Don't you leave me here alone, Toshii! Just ask the staff to go look for it!" Yuno shouted at me with an annoyed tone. Wow. This is probably my first time to see her annoyed like that. I obediently followed her order and called out a staff assistant. "Excuse me! My friend's top got washed away. Could you please find it for us?" I asked the staff assistant as I tried to cover Yuno. "Sure thing! Please wait here!" She replied as she starts to look for Yuno's top. Seconds passed, and there's this awkward silence between me and Yuno. I tried my best not to look at her, but I can't hide my blushing face. Not to mention, she has this flustered look on her face, which is pretty normal if you consider her current situation.

Suddenly, I noticed two swimmers swimming towards us. At Yuno's current condition, there's a huge possibility that those swimmers might see her like this. I quickly grabbed on to Yuno's shoulders and placed my elbows on the sides, which covered the side view of her breasts. "Toshiiii!" Yuno embarrassingly cried out. "Please don't think badly of me." I replied with a flustered look on my face. To our surprise, a swimmer bumped into Yuno's back, which pushed her towards me. I felt her breasts landing on my chests. Instead of pushing me away, Yuno suddenly hugged my very tightly. I felt my body turning to stone as this sensation began to rile up my head. "Wait! What are you doing?!" I frantically asked her as I felt my mind going blank. "Don't move! If I let go now, they'll see it!" Yuno embarrassingly replied.

This is bad. I never expected a scenario like this to happen. I could feel a swelling on my crotch area. I mustn't let my lust get the best of me! I froze my entire body as Yuno held on to me. Luckily, the staff assistant managed to find Yuno's top and gave back to her. As Yuno released her hold on me and began to fix her top, I felt my strength completely disappearing.

This time, I was the one who got washed away.

After that crazy incident inside the water park, we walked around the amusement park once again. Since it was getting dark, we're looking for our final ride before heading back to the station. "Toshii! Look! A photo booth! Wanna take pictures?" Yuno cheerfully asked me. The moment I saw the booth, I suddenly remembered the time when I used a booth such as that with my mother and step-father. In that moment, I could feel my heart aching as I remembered our final memory together. "No. Anything but that." I replied as I dragged her away from there.

I'm not yet ready. I'm not yet ready for any emotional things to spark inside of me. This is something new to me. Unlike before that I was practically emotionless; I could no longer control these emotions inside of me. I don't want to feel this kind of pain yet.

_Woah! I can see the entire Sakurami City from here!_

I decided that we should take the ferris wheel as our last ride. Yuno merrily hoped inside the cabin while I followed her closely. We sat down in front of each other. The cabin then slowly started to move. To be honest, this is actually my first time to ride something like this. I could say that it's pretty neat to see the entire skyline of the city as the sun sets. The sun's last rays for the day glistened on Yuno's face. I stared at her as she happily looked at the view. I suddenly remembered my question that I was supposed to ask her two days ago.

Why does she follow me around? Why did she become my stalker?

This is probably my best chance to ask her. I mustered my courage and took a deep breath. "Hey, Yuno. Listen. I'm wondering; why do you follow me around?" I asked her as I tried to put a fake smile on my face. The smile on her face suddenly disappeared. She looked at me with a blank look on her face. "Why did you avoid the booth earlier, Toshii?" She asked as she tries to retorts my question. I found myself speechless. I couldn't answer her question. "It's complicated." I replied as I looked down on the floor. "Toshii, didn't you wanted to be happy?" She then asked me with a concerned tone on her voice. Wait. Does she mean she actually remembers? Maybe she took a peek on her diary! That's cheating! Is she actually playing around with my emotions?! "You took a peek on your diary, didn't you? That's chea-"

"No, I didn't! You told me that back then!"

"_I will be Nohiru-kun's little bride."_

"_Pft. Alright then. I'll be your husband once we're old enough."_

She actually remembered. So that's her reason for chasing me around? "Then why. Why did you avoid me back then?" I asked her. "It's because every time I see you, it makes my heart race. I just didn't want to mess up and make you hate me." Yuno replied with a flustered look.

I can't believe it. I never hated myself so much for quickly a judging a person. Not to mention that this particular person loves me, and believes in me. My heart aches so badly. I can't believe that I gave this girl a rough time.

Yuno then stood up. She slowly approached me and leaned closer. "There's more to it, right?" I asked her. She didn't answer, but she then kisses my forehead. The aching on my heart slowly subsided. "It's a secret." Yuno stated as she tried to hide her blushing face.

That's it. I will no longer hesitate. This girl will be my reason to fight, to keep going in this cruel world.

Before she could move away, I quickly grabbed on to her shoulders and drew her closer. "Don't you ever leave me alone." I whispered to her. "Never, Toshii." Yuno replied as she caressed my cheeks. Moments later, we found our lips locked on with each other. I couldn't explain how much I feel at the moment. It feels like my whole body is on fire. As our lips apart from each other, we stared into each other's eyes for quite some time.

**KNOCK! KNOCK!**

A sudden knock on the window of the cabin startled us. "Sir, Madam, the ride is over. Please exit the cabin." The staff said as the cabin doors opened. Did that person saw our moment?! We quickly stood up and went out the cabin. We tried our best to hide our embarrassed faces. From my back, I could hear the staffs laughing at us. We ignored their comments and remarks and walked towards the park's exit.

We held each other's hands as we walked on the pathway. I could see a big smile on our faces. As I brought out my phone to update Kurusu, it suddenly started raining. "Crap. We should go home now." I stated as I took off my jacket and covered Yuno with it. "Toshii! You'll get sick!" Yuno said as she tried to cover me also. After fixing the jacket so it'll cover the both of us, we made our way to Yuno's house. Minutes later, we arrived in front of a pretty traditional house. It's pretty huge. I bet Yuno's family is rich.

"So, I'll be going now." I stated Yuno walked over the covered portion of their gate. "Wait. Toshii! Since you're here and it's still raining, would you like to come in?" She asked with a nervous tone in her voice. Wait. Will I meet her parents? Isn't that too quick?! I haven't actually asked her if I could date her! What should I do?! I can't back down though. I don't want to disappoint her. "Sure." I replied as I looked away to hide my blushing face.

We entered her home. The inside of her house is pretty dusty. Not to mention, it's pretty dark. Is their electricity down or something? Yuno escorted me towards the guest room. She made me sit down by the table in the middle of the room and gave me a towel. "Thank you." I said as I began drying my clothes. "Sorry if it's pretty dark, Toshii. Our electricity is cut at the moment." She stated as she helped me dry my clothes. "It's okay, Yuno. Don't worry about it." I said with an assuring tone on. "Okay! Wait here for a bit, Toshii. I'll just cut this apple!" She said as she took the apple in the middle of the table and went out of the room.

I stared blankly at the darkness for a while. I wonder where's her parents? If what I've read in some manga is true, they should be interrogating me right now. Well, those are fictional things, but doesn't that happen normally? I mailed Kurusu about our current situation. Seconds passed, and the silence is tingling inside my ear. Should I go and help Yuno out? I don't even know how to go the kitchen. Suddenly, I could smell something horrid coming from the hall. The hell is that? It smells horrible! I stood up and walked towards the hall. If my instincts are right, the smell is coming from the room beside the entrance hall. I slowly approached the room with great caution.

The walls of the room are pretty run down and have these wooden planks nailed to it. The heck is this? Does Yuno keep a savage animal inside their house? The smell is somewhat familiar to me, but I can't say what exactly it is. Should I open the door? Something inside me is telling me not to, but my curiosity is at its peak. I don't want Yuno to live in this place with this putrid smell choking her. I should check it out.

I opened the sliding door. The room was dark and the atmosphere is eerie. The foul smell is thicker than I imagined. I covered my nose as I slowly peeked inside the room. I couldn't see anything but darkness. I felt my phone suddenly getting warmer. I was about to get it from my pocket when a lightning flashes from the windows of the room.

_Oh my god._

I saw it. I saw it clearly. There was a cage in the middle of the room. There's no doubt that I saw two corpses inside that cage. One male, and one female. Who the hell are they?! No way. That couldn't be Yuno's parents, right?! Did she kill them?! No. No! I mustn't think like that! I tried to approach the cage but I stepped on something sticky. I looked down and the lightning flashed once more. Dried blood. There's dried blood on the tatami mat and there's a corpse beside the door. What the hell is this? What the hell is happening?!

_**BZZZZZT!**_

A static from my diary. No. Not just my diary, but a nearby diary also. No. There's no possibility that will happen. It can't be! Fear and anxiety slowly clouded my mind. I was hesitant to check my diary. My hands were shaking.

_To think that it was going so well till now._

That was Yuno's voice just now. I felt her presence behind me. I quickly turned around. "Yuno. What is the meaning of this? Who are these people?" I asked her as I slowly walked towards the hall without removing my eyes on her. She didn't answer. She only looked at me with her teary eyes. "Yuno! Please! Answer me!" I aggressively asked her. Something gleamed on her hand. She's a holding a knife.

A knife.

Without thinking, I quickly bolted towards the entrance. I quickly opened the door and ran outside. This is my first time to feel this type of fear. Is this the fear of betrayal? I don't need to answer that. What I need is to keep on running away from that place, from her. I could hear some footsteps behind me. Is she following me?! Is she that determined to kill me?! I glanced back behind me. The darkness of the night and the heavy rainfall clouded my vision. Tsh! Fuck that! I have to keep going!

I finally arrived at my condo. I quickly opened the lobby's doors and bolted towards the elevators. Luckily, there was one waiting for me. I hurriedly went in and pressed the eighth floor. The elevator's doors closed and this time, there wasn't a hand to stop it. The elevator quickly arrived at the eighth floor. I dashed outside and ran towards my unit. I took the spare key from my hiding spot and quickly opened the door. I went in and slammed the door behind me. I quickly placed the chain lock on to the door.

I leaned my body on the door as I felt my strength slowly disappeared. I took deep breaths just to calm my nerves. It wasn't working. "What the hell is happening? Was she planning to kill me from the start?" I asked myself as I try to find answers from what I've seen earlier. Is she related to that family at all? Did she kill them? I can't answer those. What I know is I'm really riled up. I have to calm down.

I slowly stood up. Before I could move towards the kitchen area, I heard the door open. The chains were stopping it from fully opening. I slowly turned around.

I saw her pink eyes staring at me. I can't believe this. She actually followed me. My whole body is shaking in fear. Tears were starting to _come_ out from my eyes.

_Goodnight, Toshii._

With those words, her eyes suddenly disappeared along with her presence behind the door. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" I shouted as fear and distress overshadowed me.


	4. Chapter 4 - Hesitation

What the hell was that?

There was a thick and putrid smell inside her house. Thanks to my curiosity, I tracked down the smell which led me to a room I shouldn't go into. There were three corpses inside the room. If I could remember correctly, there are two inside the cage in the middle, and one by the door. Who were those people? Are they related to her? My head throbbed in pain as I tried my best to forget what I saw earlier.

Yuno.

Just who in the world are you?

**RIIIIIING! RIIIIIING!**

Huh? That's my phone ringing. I slowly opened my eyes. Looks like I fell asleep by the living room. When did I feel asleep? I remember getting spooked out when I saw her by the door last night. In fear of her killing me, I waited here at the living area. If she's planning to kill me, at least I'll be prepared. I remember staring blankly at the door, waiting for her to break it. Probably I dozed off as I waited for her.

I slowly sat up and grabbed my phone from the coffee table. An incoming call from Kurusu? Oh wait. I forgot. He called me last night. He mentioned that he managed to get some info about Ninth getting captured by some religious cult in the area, with his diary. We're supposed to go the cult today. That means I have to go with Yuno too. I can't seem to shake off this uneasiness and anxiety. I've been through worst, but why do I fear her so much?

Is this the fear of getting betrayed?

Anyways, I answered Kurusu's call. "Yes?" I greeted him with a yawn. "Where the heck are you? You got me all riled up since you haven't answered your phone for the past 20 minutes. I'm at lobby. We're running late with our appointment!" Kurusu stated with an annoyed tone. "Sorry, sorry. I had some issues last night. Give me 10 minutes." I replied as I stood up and went to my room. With that, Kurusu ended the call. I should get ready then. Wait. I have to check my diary for any updates. As I checked my diary, an entry caught me off guard.

**May 5 21:30 [Omekata Compound, Main Building]**

_Gasai, Yuno_

Was captured by the cult as she tried to let First to escape. She was viciously raped by the cult members. As a last resort, she commits suicide.

**DEAD END**

**May 5 21:35 [Omekata Compound, Main Building]**

_Nohiru, Toshiro_

Hesitated to save Second. The guilt made him go berserk. He managed to take down 10 men, but Sixth's followers were able to fatally wound him. Died to heavy blood lost.

**DEAD END**

These entries. These will happen tonight. Someone in the cult will kill us. Not to mention, my entry mentioned SIXTH. If that person is the leader of that cult, then it will be his followers who will defile Yuno. What should I do? Should I let Yuno die like that? She's too dangerous. I can't predict her moves or what she's thinking. She's probably the deadliest opponent I have to face in this survival game since her diary is all about me.

"_I will be Nohiru-kun's little bride."_

"_Your future belongs to me, Toshii."_

"_I'll never leave you, Toshii."_

Damn it. I'll think about it later. Right now, I have to make sure that this adversary of ours will be dealt with. I took off my clothes and opened my wardrobe. I then took a clean piece of underwear, a white tank top, and a black cargo pants with straps on it. After changing, I then took out a black Kevlar vest. The vest has 6 slots for my throwing knives, and two back pouches for my ammunition. Unluckily, I left my old Beretta 92 at my Father's office, so I can't use that. For now, I have to use my old trench knife. It's 6 inches long and it's still sharp as ever. I grabbed the knife, and 6 throwing knives inside my hidden compartment and placed them on their respective sheathes. I then grabbed my black, worn out, hoodie, and quickly wore it on top of my vest.

It's been a while since I wore this equipment. Though I haven't worn these things for almost a year and half, it's still well fitted on my body. This brings a lot of nostalgic feelings to me.

I grabbed my worn out black sneakers and quickly wore them. I strapped in the straps of my cargo pants and placed my phone inside my pocket. All set. I grabbed my keys and went outside of my unit. I locked the door and made my way to the elevators. After a few seconds of waiting, the elevator cab arrived. I then pressed the ground floor button and waited the doors to shut.

Should I tell Kurusu about Yuno? Should I betray Yuno just like that? I don't know. I really don't know. As long I haven't heard her side of the story, I couldn't decide what to do. Though I'm pretty confused at the moment, there's something inside of me that keeps nudging that I should side with Yuno. Why should I do that? Is that the only option do I have?

**TING!**

The elevator's doors opened. I hurriedly went out and headed to the lobby. "Well, aren't you pretty prepared?" Kurusu stated as he greeted me with a handshake. "It's better to be safe than sorry." I replied as I responded with a firm handshake. "Anyways, we'll be going to the OMEKATA CULT. I read an entry in my Investigation Diary last night about them capturing Ninth. It's odd though. Why would they need to capture a dangerous terrorist like Ninth?" He stated as we went outside the lobby. "Pretty shady, if you ask me. Even so, I think it's best if we keep our guard up." I said as I followed him closely as we approached his black sedan. "Right. Oh yeah. I got you something." He said as he opened the passenger door.

_Good Morning, Toshii!_

As the passenger door opened, I saw Yuno sitting inside the car. "I picked Gasai up earlier. Less trouble for you, I guess." Kurusu stated as he hinted that I should get inside. "Oh. Right. Thanks." I stated as I nervously went in and sat beside Yuno. I have to act normal. We have to keep focused about this cult. Kurusu then closed the door and went to the driver's side. He then entered the car and started the engine.

I stared blankly at the carpeted floor. I really can't shrug off this uneasiness. I glanced at Yuno. She seemed normal and cheerful. I can't stand it how good she is in pretending. It feels like she's ignoring the fact that I saw something horrid last night. "Oy. Toshiro. About last night…" Kurusu murmured as he began driving along the road. Last night? Don't tell me that his diary picked something up about Yuno! "Last night?" I nervously asked him.

"Yes. Last night. Seriously, I thought I told you to update me before you'll do something. How come I didn't receive anything from the both of you?" He asked. Oh. It's just about that. I let out a sigh of relief. "Well, things happened, and I had to go home quickly." I replied. "Things happened? What? Her parents caught you two doing something indecent? Seriously, kids these days." He stated with a chuckle. "It's not like that! I would never do that!" I frantically stated as I tried my best to avoid the topic. Kurusu simply gave out a laugh and continued driving. Yuno didn't say anything, and continued on staring at me.

We arrived at the Cult Compound at noon. The shrine area was filled with followers lining up towards the main building. Kurusu then approached a shrine maiden as me and Yuno stood by the shrine gateway. Since greeting me good morning, Yuno haven't said a word to me. I should say something if I wish to act normal in front of Kurusu. "Hey." I said to call her attention. "What is it, Toshii?" She asked as she approached me. I don't need to say anything harsh. I just need some assurance that I can trust her. "Nothing, really. I just want you to know that no matter what, I'll be here to help you out. In return, I have to know everything." I stated as I stared at her. "What are you talking about, Toshii? I really do appreciate the fact that you're there for me!" Yuno merrily stated. I can't seem to get through her. "Nothing. Never mind it." I said as I approached her and placed my hand on top of her head. "Stay beside me, okay?" I whispered to her ear. "Always!" Yuno happily replied with a sweet smile.

I have to keep her focused. It's too dangerous right now. I can sense the gazes of the followers of cult on our backs. There's something off about this cult.

_Toshiro! Gasai! Come here! We'll have a talk with the head priestess in the main building!_

Kurusu called us over. We then proceeded to the main building. We arrived at the main hall. The hall was arcaded with red columns and the followers sat at the sides, staring at us. In the far end of the hall, lies a big wooden cage. Strange. Why would they need something like that in a shrine compound? Are they keeping someone inside? The shrine maidens made us wear a scarf that the followers were wearing. The scarf is pretty annoying, and not to mention, my skin doesn't respond well to it.

We sat down near the cage. I could see someone inside. A girl with long purple hair, and wearing a traditional orange and green kimono, sat in the middle of the caged room. I wonder who she is. Why would be a girl of our age, be inside of that room?

_Welcome. I am the priestess, KASUGANO, TSUBAKI. Could you come closer so that I could get a good look of your face, Toshiro-kun?"_

Huh? How does she know my name? I looked at Kurusu, who was sitting beside me. He's terribly shaking. Judging from the looks of Yuno, she knows something is up. Something's bound to happen, and we know it.

"I'm sorry. It's been my habit to ask my guests to come up close. I have poor eyesight, you see? That's why I must take a good look at them and write on my diary." Tsubaki explained. From the looks of her iris, she's not lying. "Last week, the weirdest thing happened. There were words that suddenly sprang up in my diary. To be exact, it was the future of faraway places. I call this, the CLAIRVOYANCE DIARY." She stated with a calm tone.

Tsh! I knew it! She's a diary owner! From the looks of things, we're basically trapped inside the hall! I could fight through them, but, wait a second. My diary didn't picked up any entries when we arrived here. Is it possible, that she's not a threat to us? Then who the hell is Sixth?

Even so, there's something odd about her presence. It felt like she's intimidating us to do something. I grabbed on to my knife. "Before you do anything drastic, I want you to know that I have no interest in becoming a god. After all, I am a priestess who conveys the message of the gods." She said as she noticed that I was about to pull out my weapon. "Ninth, Minene, Uryuu, is at the basement chamber. You can do anything to her as you please." She stated.

"I don't get it. What are you up to?" Kurusu asked her with a confused tone. "I don't have time to waste on those trivial things." She stated as she opened her diary and showed it at us.

_**BZZZZZT!**_

The moment she raised her diary, a static came from my own. As Kurusu and Yuno surveyed Tsubaki's diary, I checked the recent entry on my diary.

**May 5 20:50 [Omekata Compound]**

_Kasugano, Tsubaki_

An explosion killed her as she tried to escape with Second and First.

**DEAD END**

So, she also dies tonight. "At this rate, I will die tonight, but with Toshiro-kun's diary, which escaped two Dead End flags, I could manage to stay alive in this game." Tsubaki stated as she placed her diary down. "This is the deal. We'll give you Ninth, but in exchange, please give me Toshiro-kun." She stated as she brings up an offer to us. "Of course we won't!" Yuno angrily retorted back at her. Kurusu started to give me a stern look. "Toshiro. Decide." Kurusu ordered as he waited for my answer. "Toshii!" Yuno called me out as she tries to persuade me not to help Tsubaki. "Toshiro-kun. Please." Tsubaki said as she tries to persuade me to help her.

This is bad. What should I do? Should I leave Tsubaki alone? Even so, she could become a great ally for us. Not to mention, maybe by saving her, me and Yuno could evade our Dead End flags. Crap. I'm sorry Yuno. You won't like this, but this is for our own good.

_We'll help her._

Time flew by. It was already quarter to 0600pm. I stood by the opening of the hall as I stared at the garden scenery. Yuno stood beside me. I could feel an annoyed aura coming from her. I shrugged it off and kept on staring at the gardens. In the corner of my eye, I saw a woman walking by the bridge in the garden. As soon as I saw her face, flashbacks started to rain down inside my head.

_You're like a son to us, Toshiro-chan!_

_Good work out there, Toshiro-chan!_

_Why did you do this?! You heartless bastard!_

That brunette woman by the garden, is my late uncle's wife. She's my Auntie. The last time I saw her is when I killed my uncle, which was a year and a half ago. From the look of her face, I could say that she became hysterical. Did she found peace in this cult? I shouldn't trouble myself with her any longer. I've already given that woman enough pain.

I went back in the hall. As usual, Yuno glared intently at Tsubaki as I entered her cage. "You can't tell your enemy with your diary?" I asked her as I sat down by the wooden door. "Unluckily, I can't. Anyways, I am pleased to have the famous THANATOS as my bodyguard for tonight." Tsubaki replied with a smile on her face. It's been a while since I heard that name.

Thanatos. That was my code name back then. My uncle got it from Greek mythology. If my memory serves me correctly, Thanatos is the god of death. You can say that he's a harbinger of death or some sorts. In modern times, he's associated with the Grim Reaper, or Death itself.

"Please. Don't call me that. That name brings some memories I wish to forget." I said as I leaned my back against the wooden cage. "I'm sorry. I couldn't feel but to be in awe. You were a well-known assassin that riled up the underground community 3 years ago. You were the Yakuza's Grim Reaper." She commented. "Thank you for the comments. I am flattered." I said as I shrugged off her flattery. "Why are you so formal, Toshiro-kun?" She then asked me with a curious look on her face. "I'm not used to talking while I'm on the job." I replied as I looked around the caged room. "Then drop the formal façade. Let's talk normally." She ordered me as she gave me a smile. For a moment, I stared blankly at her almost blank purple eyes.

"Come closer, Toshiro-kun. I shall give you a prediction." Tsubaki as she opened her diary. "I'm not into those destinies, fate, things." I mentioned as I sat down beside her. "Just be quiet for one second and listen." She said as she tapped my forehead with her finger and grabbed on to my palm. As I rubbed my forehead, Tsubaki then concentrated on "reading" my palm. "You have a great potential to change the world. You don't mind to get your hands dirty if you need to. You might actually win this survival game." She exclaimed as she let go of my palm. "Well, isn't that peachy?" I murmured as I tried to stop my laughter.

"But, that girl you're with earlier. She's too dangerous, too unpredictable. Are you sure that you should trust her? Are you sure that she wouldn't stab you in the back when you least expect it? I promise you. She will lead you to your own death." She exclaimed with a serious look on her face. "Are you, pertaining to Yuno?" I asked her as I questioned her prediction. "Well, she's the only girl that you consider as someone dear to you, am I right?" She asked.

I slowly tilted my head downwards. She's right. How can I blindly put all in the line if I can't get any assurance from Yuno? I don't want to rush in a battle blindly and get killed by a stab on my back. That would be a guaranteed suicide.

After a few moments of silence, I went out of the room. I didn't give any reply to her question. Yes, Yuno is dear to me, but I am hesitating. As I went out of Tsubaki's cage, a sudden fire started to blaze her futon! Shit! I quickly went back to the door and tried to open it. To no avail, the door is locked tight.

_**BZZZZZT!**_

To my surprise, my diary started to buzz out like crazy. I quickly brought it out and checked the new entries. I don't know these names. Probably they are the cult's followers or so. The followers inside the hall panicked as the fire blazed inside the cage. Suddenly, as one follower was trying to put out the flame, another one approached him and suddenly hacked him with an ax! Blood splattered all across the hall as the followers started to attack each other with axes and knives.

"What the hell is happening?" I asked myself as I watched the crazed event inside the hall. Crap! If this keeps up, Tsubaki will die inside her cage! With her dead, we wouldn't be able to secure Ninth! I have to do something! I have-

_You can't! You can't go, Toshii!_

I looked behind me. Yuno stood a few meters away from me. She stood there with a distressed look on her face. "What are you saying, Yuno? I can't pretend that I don't see-" "You need to!" She angrily shouted. "This is all wrong. It has to be a trap! Dangerous things are coming up one after another in my Toshiro Diary. At this rate, you'll die!" Yuno frantically explained as she showed me her diary. I checked my diary once more. My entry got filled with different scenarios that could happen at this moment. "But, still. I can't-" "No, trust me." Yuno ordered as she began to become more frantic than before.

"Are you saying that you don't care if Tsubaki-san dies?" I asked Yuno with a shocked tone in my voice. "Let's go home, Toshii. Please? Let's go home." Yuno pleaded as tears started to form on her eyes. I can't believe it. She's willing to throw another person's life away for her own selfishness. "Why? Why would I go home with you? So that you'll kill me too like those corpses in your house?" I asked her as fear slowly started to cloud my mind. "Eh?" She murmured as her eyes widen upon hearing my question.

"If I stayed at your place last night, you've already killed me by now, right?" I asked her once again as the fire inside the cage roared at my back. "Yuno. Tell me. Please. How can I trust you? After all that I saw, how can you assure me that I wouldn't end up like those corpses?" I asked her once again. She didn't give any reply, but her tears started to fall down from her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I refuse to die like that. I can't trust you." I stated as I picked an ax and rushed towards the wooden door.

I hacked the door's lock with all my might. With three hacks, I managed to break the door open. "Tsubaki-san! Are you alright?!" I shouted out as I rushed inside the caged room for Tsubaki. The moment I stepped inside the cage, the water sprinklers were activated. Did someone managed to open the sprinklers system? It must be Kurusu. The fire slowly died down, but the followers were still attacking one another. "Tsubaki-san?" I called her out as I slowly approached the standing priestess.

_Quiet down, you imbeciles!_

Did she just, shout that? The moment the followers heard her voice, they stopped doing what they were doing. They looked at each other with shock and fear in their eyes. She really does have that intimidating aura that I felt earlier. "Oh, Toshiro-kun." She said as she noticed that I was already beside her. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" I asked as I looked on her body for any traces of wounds. "I'm alright. I'm happy to know that you came to save me." She stated as she gave me another warm smile.

"What was that all about? Why did the followers suddenly went bat-shit crazy?" I asked Tsubaki as she looked outside of her cage. "It must be hypnosis. Someone must be controlling my followers." She replied as she glared outside her cage. "If that's the case, that person must be inside the compound then." I commented as I looked around for any traces of explosives inside her room. "I shall check my diary. To be honest, the entries that are written here are the futures waiting for the thousands of followers that I have." She explained as she opened her diary. Wait. Did she say her followers? "Look. Like this." She said as she pointed an entry to me.

_Parking Patrol_

Found a suspicious person escaping from the vicinity. Lost him.

"It seems like that person is somewhere near the lodge. I shall send some people to look for him." Tsubaki stated as she called out for one of her followers. What an amazing diary. It's more informative than my Death Diary. That explains why Ninth was easily caught be the cult. But, if she's the priestess of the cult, doesn't that make her Sixth?

Before I could further think about her identity, I saw two entries that caught my attention. "Tsubaki-san. What's this?" I asked her as I pointed the entry that stood out.

_Front Gate Reception_

A suspicious person enters through the front gate.

_Security_

A suspicious person was spotted by the gardens.

"What? Three individuals?!" Tsubaki cried out in shock. As the entries got us dumbfounded, it was quickly replaced with more entries about the sightings of a suspicious individual. "So, once you fool the followers eyes, you're practically blinded with misinformation too?" I murmured to myself as I quickly observed the diary's power. "This is bad. It looks like they're under the hypnosis once again!" She stated with a nervous tone. "Then we should get going and get out of here." I stated as I stood up and reached out for her. She obliged and took my hand. I assisted Tsubaki as she slowly went out of her cage.

_You're so kind, Toshii._

A dazed looking Yuno approached us. "So, when do plan to let go of his hand?" Yuno asked Tsubaki as she showed her an axe on her hand. "I still have plans to counter this threat! I need him to sta-" "No, you don't!" Yuno angrily cut Tsubaki's reply. "You're going to die here, anyway." Yuno stated as she pointed the axe towards Tsubaki.

_**BZZZZZT!**_

A static came from our diaries. "It looks like our enemy is on the move." I stated as I strapped my phone on my wrist. "Toshii's Dead Flag is about to get set!" Yuno commented as she read the entry in her diary. "Tsh. After all of this, and we still haven't evaded our flags. Bullshit." I murmured to myself as I surveyed the hall for any openings that our enemy might take. As I surveyed the hall, I noticed Yuno staring blankly at wall. What the hell is wrong with her now? She then looked at the dead bodies on the floor and smiled. She raises her axe and began hacking the heads of the dead bodies around us while softly giggling.

"What the hell are you up to? This isn't the time to play games!" I angrily questioned Yuno. "Toshii, kill the corpses!" Yuno happily replied with some splattered blood on her face. The moment Yuno mentioned that, the "corpses" began to move! They slowly stood up and slowly approached us with weapons in hand. "Don't tell me they were hypnotized to play dead!" I angrily said as I opened my black jacket and took out my trench knife. As the hypnotized followers were getting closer, I looked at Yuno. With her recent action, I could say she's trying her best safeguard my life, even in her own way. Even so, she has to explain those corpses after of this is over.

"Yuno! Let's do this!" I shouted as I readied my stance. "Yes, Toshii!" Yuno happily stated as she leaned her back against mine. In a spilt second, we dashed in towards the followers. As we hacked and slashed through them, their blood splattered all across our clothes and in our faces.

I kept on evading and countering their attacks. Before one could land on me, I would sidestep to his blind side and go for the kill. One by one, their bodies fall. As my 6th kill fell flat on the tatami mat, I took a step back to get a breather. I noticed Yuno's pretty exhausted too. "Tsh. They just keep on coming and coming!" I shouted as I saw their newly arrived reinforcements. As a hypnotized follower was about to attack Tsubaki with an ax, I quickly stepped in and blocked the attack with my knife. I gave the guy a swift left hook, which made him reel backwards. In that moment, I quickly dashed to his side and sliced his neck artery cleanly. "Tsh. You're pretty messy, aren't you?" I stated as I noticed his blood spewing on my jacket.

After a few minutes, I felt my body becoming heavier. Yuno's attacks are pretty sluggish too. It's getting too dangerous for us to fight here. In no time, we'll be surrounded and killed. "Toshii. Choose." Yuno said as she stopped and looked at me. "Choose me, and live. Choose her, and die here." She stated with a smile on her face. I could see Tsubaki pretty agitated because of her statement. "Are you serious?" I asked Yuno with a confused tone in my voice. "She's the only one being target, so we can just leave her and escape the compound. Come on, Toshii! Let's go home!" Yuno gleefully stated. Her statement stunned me. What should I do? Should I just leave Tsubaki and escape with Yuno? Will that change our future? There's no guarantee that we'll live through this!

Suddenly, a follower tried to attack Yuno. Before Yuno could even evade the attack, I pushed her away and swiftly disarmed the follower. As he reeled back, I gave him a strong kick to the stomach that made his body crash into the panel wall. With that, I managed to make an opening for us to escape. "Let's go, Toshii." Yuno said as she grabbed my hand and quickly dragged me away. "Wait! Tsubaki-san!" I shouted as I reached out for Tsubaki. "Thank you, Toshiro-kun!" Tsubaki said as she quickly grabbed on to my hand and followed us closely. As we ran out of the hall, my phone began to vibrate. Who could be calling me at this time?! I opened my phone and answered the call even without looking at the caller's id. "Sorry about that. It took me a while to fix the sprinkler system." The voice said. I recognized this voice. It was Kurusu who called me.

"I don't have the time to explain this thoroughly, but the followers are hypnotized and started to attack us! We need a way out of this compound! Evade the followers!" I exclaimed as we passed through a corridor. "I understand the situation. I've called backups from the station. Make your way to the main gate for extraction." He ordered. "Understood. Wait. What about you?" I asked him. "I'll look for Ninth." He replied as he ended the call.

We ran our way towards the main gate. As we passed another corridor, I noticed Yuno is exhausted and is nearly out of energy. "Hey! Shouldn't we stop for a second so that we could get a breather?" I asked her as held to her hand tightly. "We can't! We're so close to the main gate!" Yuno stated as we kept on running.

_Oh! It's the priestess!_

To my surprise, the followers that we passed along our way were acting normal. They weren't attacking us or anything. Is the hypnosis lifted? Even so, the main gate is at site. We could reach just in time, we could escape this crazed compound!

Suddenly, Tsubaki stopped on her tracks. "Toshiro-kun! Let's face the enemy here!" She exclaimed as she pulled me towards her. "Why?! The gates are just a few meters away from here!" I asked her as I took deep breathes to relax my muscles. "Now that my followers are back to normal, it's our chance to defeat our enemy!" She stated. As Tsubaki stated that, the exhausted Yuno slowly approached her with a dazed look on her face. I noticed a killing intent from Yuno and quickly grabbed onto her wrist.

If fight here, we could overcome our flags. If can take down this diary owner who's pestering us, we could live another day.

"Yuno. We'll fight here." I said as I stared at her eyes with determination. "Why, Toshii? Don't worry. It'll be quick." Yuno replied as she stared at Tsubaki intently. Does she intent to kill Tsubaki and run away with me?! Is she losing it?! "You intent to use Toshii once again, don't you?" Yuno asked Tsubaki aggressively. "Don't throw false accusations at me, you delusional woman." Tsubaki quickly retorted back. Damn it. Looks like I don't have any choice.

"Yuno! Listen to me!" I shouted at Yuno as I pulled her towards me. "This is the only chance we could get! If we fight here, we could kill this diary owner! Wouldn't that lessen the threats in our lives?!" I asked Yuno as I firmly held her close to me. "But, Toshii! She soiled your view of me! She made you think that I'm using you, that I would hurt you! Why can't we just kill her and escape?!" Yuno furiously shouted back at me. "Even so! I will not let this Dead End take us. I will not that diary owner kill the three of us! I will not let anyone kill you!" I angrily shouted back at her.

As I stared intently at Yuno for a while, I noticed that my grip on her wrist is too tight. "It hurts, Toshii.." Yuno murmured as she tried to reach for my hand. I'm hurting her. Damn it. Before letting go of her wrist, I leaned in closer to her face. "Believe in me. Please. I'll get us through this mess." I whispered to her ear as I let go of her wrist.

**RIIIIIIIING!**

I noticed my phone's ringing. It must be Kurusu. "Yes? Where are you?" I asked him as I quickly answered his call. "We have a problem. I managed to find Ninth, but TWELFTH is heading towards your location." Kurusu stated. "What? Twelfth? I thought we're dealing with Sixth?!" I asked him with a confused tone. "What are you talking about? Sixth is right there. Sixth is-"

**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

What that an explosion just now?! Thanks to that explosion, I accidently ended my call with Kurusu. I noticed a smoke cloud on the roof near us. As I stared at the roof for a while, 5 figures slowly climbed up to the top portion of the roof. As they reached the middle of the roof, they suddenly posed like they're from Kamen Rider of sorts. After posed, an explosion of mixed colors exploded behind them. Are you serious? First, we had to deal with those hypnotized followers, and now this? What's next? A diary owner who's a blood sucking vampire?

They made their way to the opposite side of the corridor. "Pleased to meet you, First. I am the TWEFLTH." They greeted me as they said those words part by part. All of them were wearing black spandex with some black accessories to go along with it. Not to mention, they have this large, circular, blank masks on their heads that has this circular sign on the portion of the face. Per person has a different color on their masks, which were red, blue, yellow, green, and pink. Seriously, our next opponents are these people? A Kamen Rider rip-off? I found myself stunned at the appearance of our current adversary.

"Those who can't even introduce themselves are bound to be evil!" The red masked one exclaimed as he pointed at our direction. Wait. If I look at it closely, he's not even pointing at us. He's pointing at the pond beside the corridor! Is he blind or something?! Still, I have to banter with him. I have to make them drop their guard. "I find it ironic to hear that from you. Aren't you the one who has been pestering us?" I shouted. "Aha! So you're there! Yes! I am the Twelfth diary owner, and I am here to bring this evil cult to justice!" He shouted back. He's pertaining to the Omekata cult, isn't he?

"Leave the priestess, and you won't face the fist of vengeance!" Twelfth shouted out as he pointed once again at the pond. That certifies it. He's blind. Yuno tugged my jacket. If we choose that option, we'll lose Ninth. Even so, we're not sure that if we protect Tsubaki-san, we could avoid our flags. It looks like it's another gamble. "I'm afraid we have to decline your generous offer." I shouted back at him as I held on to Yuno's hand firmly. "Then you leave me no choice! The real me has eaten a tiny bomb! If you attack the wrong person, I'll just detonate the bomb kill us together!" They shouted as they said those words part by part once again.

Wait. Tsubaki's entry. She'll die in an explosion. If so, we could overcome her flag by winning this gamble!

_**BZZZZZT!**_

**May 5 20:50 [Omekata Compound, Main Building]**

_Gasai, Yuno_

She tried to follow First's attack on Twelfth, but fails. She dies in an explosion

**DEAD END**

**May 5 20:50 [Omekata Compound, Main Building]**

_Nohiru, Toshiro_

He attacked the wrong person as he tried to take down Twelfth. He dies in an explosion.

**DEAD END**

That settles it. We can't fail now. One wrong mistake and we're done for. Wait. If the real Twelfth is blind, I could say his hearing ability is pretty good, since he has to depend on that. If that's the case, we have to take down the one with the red mask. "Yuno. Kill the one with the red mask. I'll distract the others." I ordered Yuno as I brought out my knife. "Alright, Toshii." Yuno weakly replied. "Let's finish this, and go home. You still have reward waiting since you did a good job protecting me." I stated as I nuzzled her pink hair with my hand. She immediately blush and game me a light smirk.

I readied my stance. "Tsubaki-san. Please bear with us." I said as I hinted Tsubaki to move behind us. Our five assailants charged towards us. Here goes nothing! I dashed towards and brought out a coin from my pocket. "Heads up!" I shouted as I faked my throw and threw the coin downwards. Blue, Yellow, Green, and Pink Twelfth looked upwards, but as soon the coin lands, Red Twelfth looked downwards. "Yuno! Now! I shouted as I quickly took the other four down. With one swift motion, Yuno managed to slash Red Twelfth's neck cleanly with her axe. Blood splattered across the floor as Twelfth's body crashed outside the corridor.

**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

_**BZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

An explosion occurred outside the corridor. We got the real Twelfth. I quickly noticed Yuno fumbling. "Yuno!" I shouted as I quickly ran towards her and grabbed her shoulders to support her. This isn't good. She's trembling. She's too tired to keep going. "I'm sorry! I should have gone in alone! I shouldn't have pushed you even further!" I exclaimed as I trembled in anger in my choice of action. "it's okay, Toshii. As long I can protect you, I will do it." Yuno replied as she tenderly caressed my face. I held her close to me as her body leans on mine. Wait. There was a static earlier from our diaries. I quickly opened my phone and checked the new entry.

What. Tsubaki's entry got erased, but ours are still there?! Who the hell is Sixth?! Where can I find this fucke-

_..the entries that are written here are the futures waiting for the thousands of followers that I have. What are you talking about? Sixth is right there._

How can I be so dense?

Before I turn around, two men appeared out of nowhere and grabbed my arms. They then dragged me away from Yuno, who was grabbed from behind as well. "What the hell?!" I shouted out as I tried desperately to free myself from them. "Tsubaki! You're SIXTH, aren't you?!" I aggressively asked Tsubaki, who was approached by her followers with her smoking pipe. The moment I asked her, I felt something hard struck my solar plexus area. Was that, the smoking pipe just now? Spit spewed out from my mouth. "Toshii!" Yuno shouted out in fear as she desperately tried to break away from her captors.

"I would like to thank you for saving me from Twelfth, First, but you, Second, Fourth, and Ninth will die here!" Tsubaki exclaimed as she slowly approached me. "What happened with the whole priestess act, bitch?!" I asked her furiously as my anger slowly burned inside of me. "How can I be a priestess when I've already been defiled? Anyways. First, is there a possibility that you will devote your life to me?" She asked as she caressed my face. "Fuck you." I replied as I glared at her intently. The moment I answered, she smacks my face with her smoking pipe.

The tasted of iron filled my mouth. I could taste my own blood. "How dare you, you bitch?! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" Yuno shouted in ager as she kept on struggling but to no avail. After I spat my blood-mixed saliva on the floor, Tsubaki leaned in closer. "Watch as I defile the person you loathe the most." She stated as she locked her lips with mine. Helpless, I couldn't push her back. Yuno watched helplessly as Tsubaki forced her tongue inside my mouth. My strength was slowly sapped away. Our intertwined saliva dangled from our mouths. "What a pity. You could have been my strongest knight. We could have been so much more than what you have with the woma-"

**AAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHH!**

That voice! Yuno! Within a mere seconds, a rage filled Yuno managed to escape her captors and cut them down. She dashed towards Tsuabki in a mad rage. She's going for the diary! As Yuno swung her axe, blood splattered across the floor. To our surprise, Tsubaki sacrificed her right arm to protect her diary.

**AAAAAAH! YOU BITCH! HOW DARE YOU!? HOW DARE YOU!?**

Tsubaki's screams of pain echoed throughout the corridor. Her followers flocked into her aid. As my captors left me to assist their wounded priestess, Yuno quickly ran towards me. "Toshii! Take this and run!" Yuno ordered me as she gave me her diary and pushed me outside the corridor. I fell down on the stone pavement. "What?! Yuno!" I shouted as I ignored the pain on my back and quickly stood back up. No good. She already collapsed and can no longer move. Not to mention, Tsubaki's followers are flocking towards my location. Fuck! I have to retreat for now! I quickly dashed towards the bushes.

I stealthily moved around the compound, and eventually reached a hiding spot. I hid under the elevated structure. If my diary is correct, they brought Yuno to the main building. I took out her phone from my pocket. I checked her messages and her diary. My chest tightens in pain as I saw the contents. It's all about me. She's that devoted to me. I couldn't believe that I hesitated in putting my trust on her! She truly loves me, and cares for me, but I push her away, every, single, time. Tears started to come out from my eyes as I clenched my fist in anger.

I then noticed something in the darkness. I wiped my tears and picked it up. It was a red ornamental ball with yellow detailing. The moment I touched it, I sensed a connection between the ball and Tsubaki. Can I use this against her? The smell is somewhat familiar to a smell of man. It's quite horrid and it started to make my dizzy. Shrugging off the smell, I placed the ball inside my jacket's pocket.

I have to devise a plan. I have to save Yuno before she gets defiled!

_First. Are you there?_

Tsubaki's voice! That came from the speakers near my hiding spot! She's clearly using Yuno as a bait to draw me out! "If you are, you better listen. Listen well, for you will hear how Second will experience my pain! She'll experience how to be defiled by men! Soon, First, she'll be all used up by my followers!" She shouted. My body froze. Damn it, Toshiro! Think faster!

_No! Toshii's the only one who can touch me!_

_Stop it! I've already decided that Toshii's the one who'll be my first!_

_Toshii!_

Rage filled my brain. I could feel how hard I was clenching my teeth in anger. Damn it! If I leave Yuno behind, I could escape the compound and live, but I can't do that to her! Not after all that I've made go through! She's the only person who cared for me, who loved me no matter what, who saw me as a person, and not as a tool or a weapon! She needs me! My future bride needs me!

_Told you that you'll need me back. Release me. Release me, and we'll save your little bride. Besides, you can't kill anyone besides your target, right? Well, you know what to do. Release me, landlord!_

My body suddenly felt light. I dashed outside of my hiding spot and ran towards the main building. The followers spotted me and tried to apprehend me. I quickly took out my knife. As I passed by them, blood splattered across the floor, and their bodies fell down.

_It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter anymore. _

_The moment they took her away, that they sided with Sixth, they choose their death. I am merely giving them what they wanted, what they yearn for; their death._

I reached the main building. I kicked the panel door down. I saw Yuno getting pinned down by three men as they try to remove what remained of her clothing. She's still wearing her panties, so I can presume I managed to change our fate. I opened my jacket and dashed towards the men. I took out 3 throwing knives and flung them towards Yuno's assailants. In a split second, I managed to kill two of them as the knives pierced their necks. The remaining assailant shouted in pain as my throwing knife landed on his shoulder. He tried to escape but I firmly grabbed his head. "Please! Don't! I'm sorry!" The man shouted as he begged for mercy.

I slowly titled my head towards Tsubaki, who was being guarded by her followers. "Well, hello there, Priestess." I said as I slowly place my knife on top of the man's neck. "No! Pleas-" I severed the man's head before I could hear his last pleas for his life. Tsubaki's eyes widen as I threw the man's head aside. I could see it. The thing that I loathe the most. The thing that I missed so much.

_I could see fear in their eyes!_

"I bring a message; a message from the god of death." I proclaimed as I took off my jacket and wrapped it on the shivering Yuno. I also took the red ball that I found and placed it inside my pocket. I could feel her sense of relief that I came to her rescue. "Don't worry. I choose you. I choose you, and we'll live through this." I whispered to Yuno. I then slowly walked towards the middle of the room. "You do not scare me! You can't fight all of my followers on your own!" Tsubaki shouted. Her voice started to irritate my ears. I retrieved my throwing knives from the men that I killed. "Do you know who you're talking to?" I asked as I stared coldly in her blank purple eyes. I could feel the sudden rush of adrenaline and excitement inside me.

This is it. This is what I lived for.

_I AM THANATOS, AND I BRING YOUR DEATHS!_

I dashed towards them. It's 20 followers against an enraged former-assassin. Most of them were using axes and knives. This will not long. Two men tried to attack me from the front. I swiftly dodged their attacks, slashed through their neck arteries. Another one dashed towards me. Before he could stab with his knife, I quickly disarmed him and took his weapon. Tsh. Not too sharp, but it will do. I stabbed his temple with his own weapon. As his body fell down, I took out 4 throwing knives and flung them in front of me. I only managed to kill one, but the other three screamed in pain as the knives pierced through their chests and shoulder. "Stop him! Kill him!" Tsubaki shouted in distress.

One by one, their bodies fall. After my 8th kill, a familiar face attacked me. It was my Auntie. She tried to hack me with an axe. I was split second late, and the axe managed to cut through my shoulder. Before I could retaliate, another slash landed on my right leg. Though I felt pain an instant, it quickly disappeared as my brain pumps out a large dose of adrenaline into my system. I grabbed on to my Auntie's weapon and stabbed my other attacker in the eye. As I pulled my knife back, I slashed through my Auntie's neck. With that, our memories together flooded my brain. I don't have time to for that. This is my farewell to my Uncle's family.

After my 12th kill, the followers were stricken with fear. The remaining of them ran away, leaving Tsubaki unguarded. Blood dripped down on the floor. I don't know whose blood is this on my vest, on my face, or on my arms. Is it their blood, or my blood? My wounds ache. I'm running out adrenaline. I have to finish this. I slowly approached the wounded priestess, who up until now, was trying to protect her diary. "How can you protect your diary with one arm?" I asked as I wiped away the blood on my knife. She didn't reply. She's desperately trying to escape from me. I then remembered the thing that I picked up earlier. I took out the ball from my back pocket and threw it towards her.

Her eyes widen as the ball lands in front of her. "Of all the times, why now?" She tearfully asked herself as I leaned in towards her. "This is goodbye, priestess." I whispered as I stabbed her in her chest. She lets out a teary sigh as her body fell flat on the tatami mat.

_**BZZZZZZT!**_

A static came from my diary. I quickly checked it out. I let out a sigh of relief, as my entry and Yuno's was cleared out. It looks like we managed to overcome another Dead End Flag. In the end, I managed to show her mercy. After all she made us go through. As my remaining strength disappeared, I fell down on the tatami mat. My blood seeped out from my wounds as I sat there gasping for breath. I really can't believe that I had to rely on that psycho just to get through this mess. Even so, thank you, Shaco.

"Toshii." Yuno tearfully murmured as I slowly approached her. "Hey. I told you, didn't I? We'll get through this." I stated as I nuzzled her hair with my hand. She then hugged me tightly. I hugged her back as I cherish this moment. I zipped up my jacket, which Yuno was wearing, and carried the exhausted Yuno in my arms. I made my way towards the main gate. There, the police assisted us. They escorted me to a police car. There, Kurusu waited for us. "Toshiro. Good heavens. Wha-" "I saved her. I killed Sixth. That is all. Please. Let us rest." I stated as I felt my legs started to wobble. "Oh. Alright. Good work." Kurusu said he opened the car's door and let us in.

"Sorry if I was a bit late, Yuno." I said as Yuno rested her head on my shoulder. She didn't reply. Hm? Is there something wrong with her?! I quickly took a look on her face. "Toshii" She murmured as she was sound asleep. Oh. She probably dozed off while I carried her here. Oh right. Her reward. I then gave the sleeping Yuno a kiss on her lips before I rested my head on top of hers.

Before I slowly fell asleep, I heard a static coming from her phone.


	5. Chapter 5- Sidenotes 1

Hello to my readers! 

UnseenMemory here. I would like to thank you for finding some time and reading my work. It really keeps me going in re-writing and continuing this fan fiction of mine. Anyways, I will dedicate this portion for a question and answer segment. These are probably the questions that you have in mind while you're reading my fanfic. (bold for questions, italic for answers) 

**Where's Yukiteru? Did you replace him or what?**

_My OC didn't replace him or anything. Though I made him a side character, his role in the story is really important._

**So, what's up with your OC? What inspired you to create him?**

_What inspired me the most to create him is probably, Yuno's character. While reading/watching Mirai Nikki, I really find Yukiteru too wimpy and defenceless. I know that is what Esuno-sensei planned, but I find him not deserving of Yuno. For me, Yuno's probably the sweetest girl that you'll ever meet. Yeah, she's pretty crazy thanks to her childhood, but deep inside, she just wants someone to love her. Not to mention, Yuno's pretty badass. She's sharp as a knife and pretty resourceful. I wanted to make a character that can carry his own weight and fight alongside Yuno, and poof. Toshiro is born._

**If Yukiteru's still in the story, will there be any love triangle between your OC, Yuno and Yukiteru?**

_I'm not planning to add that aspect in the story. I'm planning to focus on the relationship between my OC and Yuno and how the two will respond to their situation as the story progresses on._

**What inspired you to create the Death Diary?**

_Well, I'm a big fan of the Persona franchise. 5 years ago, when I was playing P3FES, I fell in love with the MC's pre-ultimate persona, which is Thanatos. I did my research on him and found out that he's the Greek God of Death, and is the twin brother of Hypnos, which was Takaya's persona. I got mesmerized in his design and lore that when I was thinking of a background story for my OC, Thanatos sprang up in my mind. Thanks to that, I decided to give my OC the power to govern death._

**Are you still making the story, or have you finished it?**

_To be honest, I already finished it. The thing is; I wrote it in my phone's notepad since that's the only thing I can write on privately. As of now, I'm rewriting everything in MSWord and fixing some events and scenarios._

**Do you have a specific date when you'll post a chapter?**

_I plan to post a new chapter every Saturday (in Asia). Since I'm in my 4__th__ year as an architecture student, things are getting hectic than usual. There might be some delays in the future, but it might be a day or two._

**Since your fanfic is a tragedy, will your OC die too?**

_I wouldn't answer that for now. If you really want to know, please keep on reading! lol_

And, thanks all for now. I hope I managed to answer some of your questions. Anyways, thank you once again for the support! It really means a lot to me. If you have any comments, suggestions, or reviews, please do mention it. It would really help me in improving the flow of my fanfiction.

Well, this is UnseenMemory signing off to do some schoolwork! Take care! 


	6. Chapter 6 - Another Chance

A week has passed ever since the Omekata Cult incident. The media broadcasted it as an interior turmoil within the cult. Kurusu and the police confiscated the various things that are connected to that incident. Me and Yuno managed to recover fully from our wounds and injuries.

Today is the 12th day of May. It might be your usual and random day for you, but for me, today is a special day. No, it's not because I get to defeat another diary owner. No, it's not because it's another peaceful day.

Today is the day where a girl, Yuno to be precise, will visit my place for the first time.

I woke up around 9am. No unusual dreams this time around. I quickly cooked and ate my breakfast. Since this is the first time someone would actually visit my place, I have to make my unit presentable. After washing the dishes, I then proceeded sweeping around the unit. I have to make sure the floor is clean and dust free. After that, I then fixed my belongings and decorations. I fixed my bed, my notes and documents, and my manga collection. To be honest, this collection of mine is pretty valuable to me since it's a gift from my previous information broker. He was also the one gave me this opportunity to live a normal life.

After fixing and cleaning my unit, I sat down on the sofa and wiped the sweat on my face. I took off my white and sweaty shirt and placed it on my lap. I stared blankly on the white washed ceiling. I could feel my heart beating fast, and my sweat is more than the usual. Am I that nervous? I have to keep calm. I don't want to make a big fuss about this.

_Here you go, Toshii!_

I took a glance beside me. Yuno was there, sitting beside me and handing out a clean piece of towel. "Thanks!" I said as I took the towel and started to wipe my sweat. Wait. Is this, real? I rubbed my eyes and looked beside me once more. She was still there, looking at me curiously. "What's wrong? Are you hungry? Shall I cook our lunch, Toshii?" She asked as she took the towel and started to wipe my neck.

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!**

I shouted as I backed away quickly from Yuno. Crap. When did she get inside?! Did I leave the door open as I cleaned the unit?! "How did you got inside?!" I asked her as I used my shirt to cover my undies. "Uh. Well, I got here around 11am. You were too busy cleaning the place to notice me, so I waited inside your room." Yuno replied as I noticed her blushing cheeks. I also noticed her outfit for today. She was wearing a green and yellow stripped dress with white inner long sleeves, and black leggings. She looks pretty cute today. Wait. What am I thinking?! I quickly looked away when I noticed my face turning red. I think Yuno noticed that too.

After those antics, I took a quick shower while Yuno cooked our lunch. As I went out of the bathroom, the tasty aroma of her cooking entered my nose. I changed into my usual home attire, which is a black long sleeves and a grey jogging pants, and sat down on the dining chair. Dang. I never knew that she's a good cook.

_Itadakimasu!_

After saying our prayers, we began to eat our lunch. Yuno cooked some fish fillets that I had in the freezer, and added a salad for our side dish. I took a bite on the main course. The flavour was pretty top notch, and tasted great. She's a far better cook than me. "This is delicious! Who taught you how to cook?" I asked her as I keep on chowing down on her cooked meal. "Well, I taught myself how to cook since I have loads of free time whenever I'm at home. Do you like it, Toshii?" Yuno asked me as began to eat the salad. "Are you kidding? I love it! This tastes better than my cooking!" I replied as I complimented her skill. "It's great to know that you love it, Toshii! Thank you!" She stated with a warm smile on her face.

If we do live in the end of this game, I would eventually end up with her, right? Wait. Am I falling in love with her?

**RIIIIIIIIIIIING! RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!**

Huh? Someone's calling me? I pulled out my phone from my pocket. This is odd. The caller is not registered in my phone. How this person got my number? "Toshii! It's bad to bring out your phone while eating!" Yuno scolded me as she tapped my hand. "Wait. Sorry. I have to answer this." I stated as I stood up and answered the phone.

_So, you're still alive, huh?_

This voice?! How the hell did he managed to get my number?! "You. What do you want?" I aggressively asked the caller. "Nothing really. I want to talk, in personal. You know where my place is, right? I'll be expecting you later." The caller stated before he ended the call. I clenched my fist as I felt anger surge across my mind. "Toshii? What's wrong?" Yuno asked as she stood up and slowly approached me. "Sorry, Yuno. I have to go somewhere right now. I might be not coming back till a day or two." I replied as I looked at her and tried to put up a fake smile. "No. I won't allow you to go somewhere dangerous without me." She stated as she gave me a stern look. "Geez. Give me a break." I stated as I chuckled and gave her a genuine smile.

"Who was that?" Yuno asked as she sat on top of my bed as I took out some clothes from my wardrobe. "My old geezer. He wants me to go to his place today." I said as I placed the clothes beside Yuno, and grabbed the files on top of my desk. "Here. Take a look." I said as I gave her the files. She then read the files while I place my clothes inside my black duffle bag. "Okugawa, Hiriyama? A Yakuza boss? He's your father?" She asked me curiously as she continued on reading the files. "Yeah, and to be precise, he's my biological father. Wait a minute. I thought you already these things, given that you're my stalker and all?" I asked her as I hid behind the wardrobe's door and began changing my clothes. "Well, I didn't know that you had two dads." She replied with a flustered tone. "I see. Anyways, if you're tagging along, might as well bring some clothes. His place is quite far from the city. He lives by the countryside. You might meet his other family too." I stated as I finished changing.

"But, Toshii, I didn't know that we would go to his place today. I didn't bring some clothes with me." Yuno said with a sad tone. "Is that so? Then we'll stop by your place along the way." I said as I approached her and nuzzled her pink hair with my hand. "Alright then! I can't wait! A sleepover with Toshii!" She merrily replied as she stood up and cheerfully went around my room. "Yeah, yeah. We better get going. It's a long drive." I stated as I reached out my hand towards her. She merrily grabbed on to my hand.

As I locked the door of my unit, we went straight to the elevator lobby. From there, we went down to the parking area. "You'll be driving, Toshii?" Yuno asked as she followed me towards a black sedan. "Yeah. Don't worry. I'm not a reckless driver or something." I stated as I opened the passenger door and let her go inside. As I closed the door, I then went to the other side and entered the car. I then started and the engine, and began to drive the old black sedan of mine.

After 10 minutes, we arrived at Yuno's place. "Do you want to go in?" Yuno asked as she opened the passenger door. I then felt a sudden sinking feeling as Yuno asked me. I then remembered when I first visited her place. "Nah. I'll just wait here." I replied as I pulled the handbrake and shifted the car into parking mode. "Alright! I'll be right back!" She stated as she closed the door and entered their gate. As Yuno entered her house, that sinking feeling inside of me intensified. Should I ask her now? Is it really okay? Why is she acting like I saw nothing back then? Is that really her family?

_Family._

I rested my head on top of the steering wheel. I never actually experienced the moment that your family is all together. Even back then with my step-dad, it felt like something was missing. I then remembered the things that I went through just to make my biological father happy. How can he stomach those things that he made me go through? How can he call himself a father, a man? I clenched the steering wheel tightly as my negative thoughts clouded my mind.

What should I tell him later? How should I react about this sudden confrontation? How-

_Toshii? Are you okay?_

I raised my head. Yuno entered the car and sat down on the passenger seat. She placed her blue duffle bag beside mine on the back seat. "Yeah. I think so. I just don't know what to do later." I replied as I lowered my head once more. She suddenly grabbed my head and pulled me towards her. "It's okay, Toshii. You have me. I will never leave you." She stated as she hugged my head tightly. My body froze. I never felt this warm feeling before. What is this? What is this warm and fuzzy feeling inside of me? She then raised my face and caressed it. We stared into each other's eyes for a while. I then stared into her soft lips. From her looks, Yuno was clearly anticipating something. Without any hesitation, we locked our lips together.

As we exchanged kisses, I remembered the night we tackled Sixth. She defiled me in front of Yuno. I want to make sure that Yuno knows that she is the only one who could do those things to me. After all, she did say that my future is hers.

Our tongues intertwined inside our mouths. Yuno wrapped her arms around my head as I grabbed on to her waist firmly. After a few seconds, we stopped and took a breather. I then reclined my chair backwards, and let Yuno mount me. As she mounted me, we then continued our intimate moment. I pushed her head towards me as my tongue explored her mouth deeper. Yuno gave out soft moans as our kiss is getting more, and more intimate. Are we really doing this? Isn't this too risky?

**BEEEEEEEP!**

With that sudden honk from my car, I pushed Yuno aside. "Woah! Sorry! The horn surprised me!" I said as I apologized to Yuno. "It's all right, Toshii. I think stepped on the steering wheel while we were doing that." Yuno replied as she touches her lips seductively. She is too much to handle. "Uh. I think we went too far. Not to mention, we're did that in broad daylight." I stated as I reclined my chair to its normal position. "Sorry, Toshii! I couldn't stop myself." She replied with a sad tone. "No, no. It's okay. But, we shouldn't to go that level yet. We're still young." I said as I nuzzled her hair playfully. "Geez. You're such a tease!" She replied as she playfully slapped my hand away from her.

After an hour and a half drive, we finally arrived at my father's place. His house was a white modern house which was constructed when I was still a young boy. I bet he lives with his other family here. "Well, isn't this odd. The gate is open." I stated as I noticed the front gate is open. "Well, he is expecting you and all." Yuno commented. "Well said." I stated as I parked the car inside the premises. I turned off the engine and went out of the car. As Yuno brings out our duffle bags, I noticed the gate was closing on its own. Automated, eh?

We then found ourselves in front of the main door. "Ready?" Yuno asked me as she firmly held my hand. "Ready." I replied as I pressed the doorbell.

**DING DONG!**

After a few seconds, we heard the door open. As the door swung open inwards, a tall, well build, black-haired, bearded man welcomed us. There's no doubt that this man, is my father. "There you are! I've been waiting for you since this noon! Welcome, welcome!" Father happily welcomed us as he lets us go inside the house. "What did you expect? It was a long drive." I coldly replied. "Oh, right. Anyways. Who is this young girl, Toshiro? Is she my future daughter in law?" He asked as he inspects Yuno closely. With those words, our faces suddenly lit up. "Geez. Shut it." I frantically replied as I hid my blushing face. "I'm Gasai, Yuno! Pleased to meet you, honorary father!" Yuno said as she introduced herself with a blushing face, and bowed in front of him. "She has manners. I like her. You have my blessing!" Father replied with a chuckle. I felt my face getting redder with every comment that he makes. "Pleased to meet you, Ms. Gasai. I'm OKUGAWA, HIRIYAMA. Probably Toshiro mentioned this, but I am his father." Father said as he introduced himself with a smile.

After the introduction, he then leads us to the living area. We sat down in front of him. Before I could say something, Yuno suddenly stood up. "Honorary father, please allow me to cook dinner for the two of you!" She asked with a glow on her face. Wait. Is she serious? She's leaving me with this man? "Go ahead, Ms. Gasai. The kitchen is at the end of the hallway." He replied. With that, I was left alone with this man. His smile suddenly disappeared. Now, I can feel a sudden aura from him.

"So, let's get down to business, shall we?" Father asked with a serious tone in his voice. The sudden aura slowly simmered down. "What's with that attitude?" I asked as I crossed my legs. "Nothing really. I'm just trying to start a new leaf." He replied. Tsh. Lies. "Where's your other family? I bet they left you for being the old fart you are." I asked as I stared at him intently. "No, and to be precise, I left them." I replied as he stared back at me. Woah. He has the nerve to do that? That's just pathetic.

"Let's be frank, shall we? The thing that I want to talk to you about is a favor. I want you to listen to me. I don't need any sarcastic comments coming from you while I'm talking. Understood?" Father stated as he looked at me sternly. I could feel his stare intimidating me. "Tsh. Alright. I'm all ears." I said as I slouched back on the sofa. I wonder what this geezer wants me to do. I bet he'll give me another-

_I want to start over. I want to start over, with you, as my son._

Those words stunned me. I can't believe this. I'm actually hearing this from him? Too bad it's too late for him to do that. He already lost his son when he let him bathe in the blood of his enemies. "Aren't you too late for that?" I asked him. "I hope not. I really want to. Believe me." He stated with a sad and serious tone. Don't give me that look. Don't try to use your so called, "regrets", to convince me. "I'll think about it." I coldly replied as I looked away from him.

"Please, do. Anyways, I have another favor for you. I have these two employees who were caught in the Omekata Incident. They are a part of those who died that night." Father stated as stood up and handed me some files. As I read the files, I was able to recognize this couple who I killed during that incident. I fought them when they tried to protect Sixth. "As a professional boss, I have to look out for their 5 year old boy till his relatives from Kyoto picks him up. I want you, and your girlfriend since you brought her along, to help me watch over the kid." He stated as he sat down in front of me. "Babystitting?" I asked as I looked at the files one last time. "Yes. I think you know that I'm not that good with kids." He said with a laugh.

Well, with this, me and Yuno could get a break from the survival game. We might as well take this opportunity. "Alright. I can't say no when Yuno's already at it." I replied as I gave out a sigh. "Great! I might as well take the time to interview my daughter-in-law!" Father stated as he laughed and gave me a big smile.

We ate dinner like a normal family would. Father narrated some of his past experiences and misadventures as we ate. "Ms. Gasai, or should I say, Mrs. Nohiru, your dishes are excellent!" Father commented as he took another bite on the pork tonkatsu that Yuno cooked. "Thank you, honorary father!" Yuno happily replied. As I was busy eating my dinner, Yuno suddenly asked Father something that brought up things that we didn't want to talk about.

_Were you not married to Toshii's mother, honorary father?_

My body froze as I heard Yuno's question. I slowly raised my head and looked at Father, who was frozen at well. After a few moments of silence, he then took a deep breath. "We were. To be honest, I was happily married to his mother, but when Toshiro was born, I was already the newly appointed Yakuza boss in this area. I had to make a sacrifice. I don't want them to get caught with my life. So, I took away Toshiro's right to bear my name." He stated as he gazed at us. I felt my anger surging across my body. That's right! You did that so you wouldn't be bothered with the responsibilities! I could still remember how Mother used to cry at night when I was still a toddler!

_I did that so that Toshiro will never be burdened to carry my blood-stained name._

His words stunned me. What the hell is he talking about? It's his fault why I entered that sort of business! It's his fault why I lost my childhood! "You see, I am an evil man. I gave up everything for my desires. Now, in the twilight of my life, I want to make amends for everything that I have done. I want to start over. I want to be the father that Toshiro needs." I stated as he smiled at me.

In that moment, I couldn't stop myself from bursting. "I don't want to hear this bullshit." I aggressively said as I stood up. "Toshii? What's wrong? Your father is actually-" "Shut it, Yuno. You don't understand. This man, took away everything from me. It was his orders that his brother would train me into a killer!" I shouted as my fist landed on top of the table. "What are you talking about? I didn't give out any order like that!" Father answered me with a confused tone. "Stop acting so innocent and live through the consequences, you old fucker!" I shouted as I went outside of the dining room. I felt like Yuno was about to follow me, but Father stopped her.

I took our duffle bags and brought it to the guest room. Fuck it. I don't know what's happening. Is Yuno in my side or what? Even so, I know she just wants to make me happy. I probably made her worry again. I have to simmer down. I took a clean pair of boxers and a white shirt, and made my way to the bathroom. After taking my clothes off, I opened the shower. I closed my eyes as I let the warm water cool down my anger.

_What's wrong, landlord? You can't believe how things are turning out?_

I opened my eyes. I was back at the Casualty Cathedral. Again, Deus and MuruMuru were nowhere in sight. In front of me, was Shaco. He sat down on top of my throne, laughing hysterically. "Shut up." I coldly stated. "Oh my. The landlord is pissed!" He sarcastically stated as he laughed at me. With that, I felt something inside me snapped. I rushed at him and aimed a hook on his face. He gave me a grin, and then suddenly countered my attack. He grabbed my arm and swiftly flipped me over. My back hurts like hell as I landed on top of my iron throne. "Damn you!" I cursed him as I slowly sat up.

"I think you should accept it." He stated as he appeared beside me. "So that man could fool me again?! To hell with that!" I angrily questioned him. "Maybe, or so that your little bride can be stable for the mean time." He exclaimed as pulled me away from the throne and threw me in the middle of the room. I felt my body ached in pain as I tried to fight back. "You should analyse your little bride, a bit more, landlord. There's no time for regrets if you overlooked something." He stated as he slowly disappeared in front of me as I could hear laughing from the distance.

I reopened my eyes. I found myself on top of the futon that I set up after I took my shower. Shaco's statement lingered in my head. Should I accept Father's offer? What did Shaco mean when he said this opportunity could stabilize Yuno? Is he aware that Yuno's a bit, deranged? I then hear a click from the door. "Toshii?" Yuno called me out as she entered the room. She was wearing her pink pajamas. "Are you sleeping already?" She asked me as she approached the bed and sat on top of it. "Not really. Hey. Um. You're sleeping on the bed, alright?" I stated as I sat up and looked at her. Her sweet fragrance entered my nose. "Alright, Toshii." She replied as she turned off the lights.

Hours passed. I couldn't sleep. I want to ask Yuno about earlier. Why did she side with Father? I do expect her to be aggressive since I teased her earlier inside the car. I slowly turned around. Her pink eyes gleamed in the darkness as she stared at me with a smile on her face. "Hey." I nervously greeted her. "Aren't you gonna sleep beside me, Toshii?" Yuno asked as she raised her blanket and looked at me with her puppy eyes. "Well. Uh. Yuno, about earlier…" Before I could finish my sentence, Yuno leaned her face closer to mine. "You know, it's bad to keep a girl waiting." She said as she caressed my face.

I frantically fell down on the futon. "What's with you, Toshii? Earlier, you were aggressive and all, but now, you're a bit meek. Is something wrong?" Yuno asked me with a sad tone. Damn it. I have to explain my action earlier. "You see, uh. I lost control of myself earlier. I didn't want to be that aggressive. I mean, aren't we too young for those things? I just wanted to show you that you have the rights to do those things to me." I exclaimed as I sat up in front of her. "Are you sure you should give me those rights?" She playfully asked as she plays with her pink hair. "Uh. I think so? Well, I didn't liked it when Sixth did it to me, but when I did it with you, I felt something warm and fuzzy inside of me." I explained myself as I try hid my blushing face.

_Are you falling in love with me, Toshii?_

Her question stunned me. Am I falling in love with her? "No! I don't think so!" I frantically replied. She gave me a pout and then brings out her phone. "Like it or not Toshii, you'll fall in love with me, and on July 28, we'll become one." Yuno stated as she shows me an entry in her diary.

_**July 28 21:35 **_

_Yuno and Toshii becomes one._

**HAPPY END**

HAPPY END? "What does that mean?" I asked her as I stared at the entry. "You will make love with me." Yuno quickly replied. "What?! Are you serious?!" I frantically asked as her as my face lit up. "I'm serious. You could do all you want, and try to change the future, but I won't allow you to alter this one. I'm declaring war on you, Toshii!" She exclaimed with a blush on her face. I've never seen her so serious before. I gave out a chuckle as I gazed on her eyes. "Alright. You're on, Yuno. Do your best and make me fall for you, alright?" I stated as I gave her a warm smile. Yuno's face suddenly lit up. "Good night!" She shouted as she quickly hid under her blanket.

Wait. I haven't asked her yet. "Yuno, wait. Why did you side with Father earlier?" I asked her as I stared blankly at the wooden floor. Seconds passed by, and she haven't responded yet. Did she quickly fall asleep? "Well, I thought it would make you happy, Toshii." Yuno meekly replied. So, she was thinking of me when she did that? I gave out a sigh and smiled. "Geez. Alright. Thanks, Yuno." I said as I laid myself on the futon. I stared at the darkness for a while, as I tried to gather my thoughts. After some minutes of thinking and deciding, I've decided. I'll give it a chance. I can't take Yuno's effort for granted. Without myself noticing it, I slowly fell asleep.

_You can't be saved._

I quickly reopened my eyes. Darkness, darkness clouded my vision. I'm all alone. I found myself kneeling down on a pond of blood. Figures of men surrounded me. As I looked at them with fear in my eyes, I quickly recognized each one of them. They're all of my previous contracts. They're the people that I've killed.

_You are too far gone, Toshiro-chan._

That voice. There is no way I could forget that voice. From the corner of my eye, I could distinguish who was the figure. He looked at me with those bloodcurdling eyes. His wife stood beside him as they glared at me. It was Uncle and Auntie.

_You can't be saved._

Before I could react to their words, bloody tainted hands suddenly sprang out from the pond and held on to me. I tried to scream, but nothing came out from my mouth. I felt like my strength disappeared. I couldn't fight back.

_You are too tainted._

The hands began to drag me downwards. I cannot break free. They coldly stared at me as the pond slowly absorbed my body. I tried to scream, over and over again, but there was nothing. In my last ditch of effort, I reached out towards the dark void upwards. As my vision slowly blurred, a small light came out from the dark void. I felt someone grabbing on to my hand, and trying to pull me out. Suddenly, I felt my body was dragged out from the bloody pond. The light blinded my eyes.

_I will never leave you._

My vision returned. I found myself back inside the guest room. So, it was just a dream? I looked around. Yuno was soundly sleeping beside me. I noticed she was holding on to my hand. Instead panicking, I gave out a sigh and rested my head on top of hers. Is she the light that I'm desperately trying to find? Is she the light in my darkness? I'm starting to think having her as my stalker is actually a good thing.

"Hm? Toshii?" Yuno murmured as she slowly opened her eyes. "Good morning. I didn't notice you snuck inside my blanket." I said as I nuzzled her hair with my chin. "You were crying last night. I quickly noticed it and hugged you. Somehow, it managed to calm you down." She stated as she playfully drew on my chest, while never letting go of my hand. "Really? Well, isn't this embarrassing." I said as I gave out a chuckle. "Not at all. At least I was the only one who saw it." She said as gave me a kiss on the cheek. She then stood up, and fixed the bed. "We better go out then. I'm pretty hungry." I said as I fixed the futon. Yuno happily nodded.

Before going out, I checked my diary. There are still no new entries. It really looks like this our big break from the survival game. As went to the living room, we saw Father sitting on the sofa with a child. The kid had orange hair, and green eyes. He was wearing a green outfit and he has these two hand puppets on his hands.

"Hey! Good morning! This is the kid that I was talking about earlier. Introduce yourself to big bro and big sis!" Father stated as patted the kid's head. "HOUJOU, REISUKE! What's your name, big bro?" The kid merrily introduced himself as he pointed at me with his male puppet toy glove. "Nohiru, Toshiro." I introduced myself with a smile. "How about you, big sis?" He said as he pointed at Yuno with his female puppet toy glove. "Gasai, Yuno." Yuno replied. "Get along, kids! I'll just place Rei-kun's things upstairs." Father said as he stood up and grabbed Reisuke's luggage. As Father went up, Reisuke then passed by us. "Toilet break!" He shouted as he ran towards the hall. "Need help looking for the toilet?" I asked as I looked at him. "No need, big bro! I'll look for it!" He merrily replied.

A sudden feeling sank into my mind. That kid. Is there a possibility that he's an owner too? It can't be. He's too young, but I do remember seeing a figure that looks like him back when we had our first meeting with Deus. I shrugged that sudden feeling and looked closely at Reisuke. It looks like we just have to keep an eye on him.


	7. Chapter 7 - Fifth's Trap

Morning quickly passed. I sat down in the sofa area with Yuno, as Father watches Reisuke drawing on top of the coffee table. The sudden feeling that I felt earlier slowly disappeared as I watched Reisuke closely. He's just a kid. There's no way that he can be diary owner. Besides, what can a kid of his age capable of?

I took a glance on Reisuke's drawing. To my surprise, he drew a pretty neat drawing of Yuno. "Oh! You're pretty good in drawing, Rei-chan!" Father commented. "I like big sis!" Reisuke stated as he paused for a while, and then continued drawing Yuno. "Oh! It looks like you have yourself a rival, Toshiro!" Father stated with a chuckle and smiled at me. I shrugged off his statement and kept on watching Reisuke. "My mind is set on Toshii." Yuno quickly retorted Father's statement. "Oh my. What a dedicated girlfriend you have there, Toshiro." Father commented as he gave out a laugh.

As two merrily bantered with each other, Reisuke began to cut out his drawing with a pair of scissors. He managed to neatly cut his drawing. He stood up and smiled at Yuno. "Are you giving it to me?" Yuno asked. Without affirming Yuno's question, Reisuke ran towards her. Suddenly, his feet got tangled in the carpet. He tripped and landed on Yuno.

_**BZZZZZZZZZT!**_

That noise! My eyes widen as I realized what just happened. Reisuke might have accidently stabbed Yuno with the scissors! Was it that fatal?! "Yuno!" I shouted as I quickly stood up. "Oy! Are both of you okay?" Father asked as he inspected the two. I quickly pulled out my diary and checked the entry. I was prepared for the worst, but suddenly, Yuno's entry got erased. "We're okay, honorary father." Yuno said as Reisuke stood up, and moved away from her. "Are you okay?! Are you hurt!?" I frantically asked her as I rushed to her side. "I'm okay, Toshii. Look." She replied as she showed me a pillow with a punctured hole in the middle. Did she use that to protect herself from the scissor? Did she know that would have happened?

"You gave us a fright, Ms. Gasai. Anyways, Rei-chan, let's put down the scissors, okay? We'll remove the carpet later." Father stated as he approached the young boy. "I'm sorry!" Reisuke said he placed the scissor on top of the coffee table and ran towards the hall. "Bathroom break? Shall I come along with you?" Father asked. "No need!" Reisuke merrily replied as he ran towards the comfort room's door. After a few moment of silence, Father then looked at us. "Toshiro. Please do remove the carpet for now. I'll be cooking lunch with Reisuke, alright?" He stated as he walked toward the hall.

"There's something odd. I can't just pinpoint it." I murmured to myself as I tried to shrug another immense feeling of anxiety. "What's wrong, Toshii?" Yuno asked me as she looked at me closely. "Oh. Nothing. I might be thinking too much." I replied as I sat down on the sofa. "You shouldn't be thinking too much, you know. You'll get wrinkles early!" Yuno scolded me as she stood in front of me. Seriously? Of all the things that we have to worry about, that's the first thing that came in your mind? I wasn't able to hold back my laughter. I burst into my very first laughing fits. "What?! Did I say something weird?" Yuno frantically asked in embarrassment. "No, no. It's just funny that you're actually thinking about those small things. Even so, I appreciate the thought. Thanks, Yuno." I replied as I gave her a big smile. "Uh. Sure." She replied as she began to blush.

The four of us sat in front of the dining table as Father's grilled steak attracted our senses. It's my first time to see and to eat his meals. Does he do this in a regular basis? I also noticed that there's a salad side-dish. "Reisuke helped me a lot earlier! He's a very good assistant, you know?" Father commented as he patted Reisuke's head. "I made the salad!" Reisuke happily stated. After saying our prayers, we began eating our lunch. We all started eating Father's steak. It might become hard if we let it cool down. "It's pretty good." Yuno commented after she took a bite. After hearing her comment, I tried the steak out. To be honest, it is pretty good. It's like the taste quality is pretty near Yuno's level. To my surprise, Father was the first one to finish eating. After eating the salad, he then stood up, and went outside of the dining area.

After eating the steak, I then proceeded to eat the salad. As I began eating the greens, I noticed Reisuke was staring at me intently. Is he that nervous about the taste? I took a glance on the salad. There's nothing unusual about the dish. It's your typical greens, and cucumbers, which is topped off with a cherry tomato. Come to think of it, the cherry tomato looks pretty juicy. I placed it on top of my fork. Huh? Is it me, or this cherry tomato is heavier than usual? I was about to take a bite out of it, but suddenly, Yuno grabbed my hand. "Toshii. Don't." Yuno ordered as she made me place the tomato down. "Hm? What's wrong?" I asked her. "It's the tomato. It's quite odd. Didn't you feel like it's a bit heavy than usual?" She explained as she closely inspects the tomato.

"Sorry Reisuke. We can't eat the salad." Yuno said as she took our bowls and placed on the sink. At first, Reisuke was silent, but then he gave out a big smile. "It's alright, big sis! Toilet!" He exclaimed as he went down from the chair, and went straight to the hall. As Yuno began to clean up the table, I approached the sink and examined the cherry tomato. I then took a fork, and then stabbed it. As its juice oozes out, my nose flared up as I recognized this familiar scent coming from the tomato. If my memory serves correct, that scent is from a high grade poison! I can't be wrong with this one. I used this kind of poison often in the past. What the hell is the meaning of this?!

Minutes flew by as I sat down on the sofa in the living room. My head started to ache as I tried to decipher what's going on inside this house. Reisuke stated that he made that salad. If so, he was the one who injected that poison into the cherry tomato. Then why is there no effect on Father? If he poisoned those tomatoes, Father must have showed some signs by now. Wait. I can't believe it. He's aiming to kill me and Yuno. So that accident with those scissors earlier, were really intentional? That makes sense. Damn it. I can't believe my gut feeling was right. He's a diary owner just like us.

How is this possible? He's too young! He's probably 5, right? When I was 5, I-

_Someone! Please! Save them! Mamaaaaa!_

_**BOOOOOM!**_

That memory suddenly sprung up in my mind. I remember it so vividly. I was crying, and screaming out for help. The smell of burning petrol lingered in the air as the flames engulfed our car completely. My mother and stepfather were trapped in front of me. The rescuers got me out first. Before they could get them out, the car exploded, killing them. I just kneeled there, screaming, shouting their names and reaching out for them. In the end, there was nothing but the sound of the flames roaring. They're dead. There's no way they could have heard my pleas.

_**BZZZZZZT!**_

As my flashback ended, a static came from my phone. If my theory is correct, then Reisuke probably started his move once again! I quickly brought it out and checked the new entry.

**May 13 19:21 [First floor bathroom, Okegawa Residence]**

_Gasai, Yuno_

She was electrocuted by Fifth while she was caught off guard and was taking her bath. She managed to survive the electrocution, but is left in a critical state. She died due to heart failure.

**DEAD END**

My eyes widen as I saw Yuno's dead end flag. This confirms it. Houjou, Reisuke, that 5 year old boy, is the FIFTH diary owner! Enough of that! I have 2 minutes before that happens! If I ran towards the bathroom, I won't make it in time! I have to stop Reisuke from electrocuting Yuno! Wait. If I cut the power now, I could manage to make it in time! I quickly ran towards the kitchen and opened the overhead cabinet near the refrigerator. I hurriedly opened the panel board and looked for the main breaker. Please let this work!

**CLICK!**

In that instant, the inside of the house was shrouded in darkness. Did I make it in time?! I hurriedly ran towards the bathroom. I quickly opened the door. "Yuno!" I shouted out as I gasped for breath. As I stared in the darkness, trying to figure out what happened, something bumped into my leg as I heard footsteps and laughter coming from the hall. Was that Reisuke running away?! That little fucker!

_Toshii?_

Yuno's voice! "Yuno?! Are you okay?" I asked her as I looked around the dark room. "Yeah. I'm okay. What happened to the lights?" She asked. I could see Yuno's figure in the darkness. Her figure was sitting down inside the bathtub. I approached the bathtub and inspected it closely. I felt something long and thin resting on the side of the tub. Is this, wires? I followed the trail of wires and it ended inside the bathtub. Luckily, I managed to turn off the lights before that brat could have dipped these wires inside.

"That kid. He's a diary owner." I stated as I approached the sink and grabbed a towel. "A diary owner? Well, now that you mentioned it, I could remember seeing a figure similar to his during our first meeting with Deus." Yuno stated as she stood up and exited the bathtub. "Tsh. I really thought I was the only one who noticed that." I said with a sigh and gave the towel to Yuno. As Yuno got the towel from my hands, the lights were restored. In that split second, my eyes widen as I managed to get a peek of Yuno's young, yet developed body. I quickly closed my eyes and looked away. "Sorry! I didn't mean to!" I shouted as I quickly turned around. "Uh. Sure." Yuno replied with a flustered tone in her voice. "Get dressed. We'll talk about this later." I embarrassingly replied as I went out of the bathroom to hide my flustered face.

Night fell in the Okugawa residence. The light coming from the lampshade on top of the nightstand, was the only light source inside the dark guest room. I sat down on top of my futon as I stared intently in the darkness. Yuno was sitting on the side of the bed, and was staring at me. How should we deal with that kid? Do we really need to kill him? Can't we come up with a plan that will render him unfit to continue this game? That kid is trekking the same path I took back then. I can't let him go through those things.

"Yuno. Let's find his diary tomorrow." I said as I looked at her gleaming pink eyes. "Sure thing, Toshii. I'm pretty sure he hid it somewhere he could reach." Yuno replied with an assuring tone in her voice. "Uh. Yuno, if it's possible, can we not kill the kid?" I asked her. After hearing my question, Yuno suddenly stood up. Her cheerful aura suddenly disappeared. "Why, Toshii?" She asked me as looked at me intently. "Well, he's walking the same path that I walked before. As much as possible, I want to confiscate his things, and tie him up. That might-"

_He can't be saved._

My eyes widen after hearing those words from Yuno. Did she really say that?! Is she saying that we should just kill this 5 year old kid and be done with it?! I felt a sudden feeling of annoyance and anger burst inside my mind. "Why? How sure can you be? Is it wrong if I want him to another route? Is it wrong if I want to save the little brat?! We killed his parents, Yuno!" I angrily asked her. Yuno didn't flinch and her gaze is still fixed at me. "He's a diary owner, right? In the end, we have to kill him to save ourselves. Like it or not, there's no other alternative ending we can take, Toshii." Yuno calmly explained as she went down from the bed and sat down in front of me. She then grabbed my clenched fist and calmly caressed it. Slowly, I felt my annoyance and anger faded away.

"I'm sorry, Toshii. We can't save him." Yuno apologized as she rested her head on top of my left shoulder. "No. I'm sorry. I lost my composure." I apologized as I stroke her long pink hair. I can't believe how this girl can easily soothe my emotions. It's like she's the only who's keeping me in check. Is she that important to me? This just caught me off guard. "You smell nice, Toshii." She stated as she nuzzled my face with hers. "Tsh. Look who's talking." I joking replied as I nuzzled back my face onto hers. After some minutes, I felt my eyes are getting heavier. "Hey, Yuno. Shall we call it a night? Let's just look around for that kid's diary tomorrow morning." I stated as I leaned my back on the nightstand behind me. "Alright, Toshii. Shall I sleep with you?" She bashfully asked as she let out a soft giggle. "Uh. No, but I don't mind letting you sleep beside me." I said as I tapped her forehead with my finger. "Ouch! Okay, okay." She replied as gave me a disappointed pout. "Come on now." I said as I turned the lampshade off. As we lay down beside each other, we stared into each other's eyes. Her pretty pink eyes reflected my sleepy face. She then caressed my face and rested her forehead on top of mine. As that particular warm feeling inside slowly enveloped my whole body, my eyes started to shut. I did my best to keep them open, but in the end, I fell asleep on Yuno's arms.

_Goodnight, Toshii._

The chirping of the birds outside woke me up. I slowly opened my eyes. Hm? It's still dark? I grabbed my phone and opened it. Oh. That's why. It's only 5 in the morning. Either way, that was probably one of my most peaceful slumbers. I glanced at the sleeping Yuno, who was still sleeping beside me. She rested her head on top of my chest with a peaceful look on her face. I can't help but to smile as I gently patted her head. As much as I want to cherish this moment, I have to get going. I have to start to look for Reisuke's diary.

I gently moved Yuno and stood up. After some stretches, I then went outside of the room. I think I should start a sweep on the 1st floor. I can't let Reisuke catch me snooping around. I started to look around the living room. I opened and checked the cabinets, looked under the sofas, and checked the various compartments that Father has. Tsh. No trace of his diary here. As I was about to leave the room, a sudden noise got my attention.

_**BZZZZZZT!**_

A static came from my diary. I quickly opened my phone and checked the new entry.

**May 14 16:00 [First floor bathroom, Okegawa Residence]**

_Nohiru, Toshiro_

He was killed by Fifth's poison gas.

**DEAD END**

**May 14 16:05 [Staircase, Okegawa Residence]**

_Gasai, Yuno_

She gambled her life to get the antidote for First. Got shocked and incapitated thanks to Fifth's trap. She was then killed by Fifth with a high grade poison.

**DEAD END**

It looks like our flags are up. Tsh. Not to mention, what's up with my entry? How will I engulf some poison gas in this household? Is that kid really capable of doing that? If so, I mustn't let my guard down. After strapping my phone on my wrist, I then proceeded to sweep the first floor.

2 hours have passed. I had no luck in finding Reisuke's diary. Where could he hide it?! A kid of his size wouldn't reach those overhead cupboards! Damn it, Toshiro! Don't let this kid outsmart you! Where is it?! Where is-

_Toshii?_

I slowly looked behind me. Yuno was standing a few feet away from me. "You're up early." She said as she stretched her arms and gave out a yawn. "I was looking for Reisuke's diary. Tsh. No luck with it." I stated as I wiped the sweat from my face. "Shall I help you find it?" She asked as she approached me and helped me wipe my sweat. "Yeah. If we combine our efforts, we could find that diary in no time." I stated as I held on to her hand. "Alright! Where shall we start?" She happily asked. "I think you should do a round here on the first floor. I might have missed something. I'll start at the second floor." I stated as I glanced at wall clock in the kitchen. It's 7:45. 7 hours till we die.

After 30 minutes, I managed my first sweep on the second floor. Well, not entirely the whole floor since I decided to skip on Father's room. I don't want Father and Reisuke to catch me snooping around. Before I left the office area, I pulled open the middle right cabinet of Father's desk. The sight of my old and dusty Beratta 92 inside the cabinet made me grin. Wait. No. I shouldn't let these thoughts overwhelm me. Like I said to Yuno last night, I'll find a way to save that kid.

As I went out of the office area, a distraught Yuno approached me. Is she, holding a knife?! "Toshii. Let's just do this." She stated as she greatly hinted that we should simply kill Reisuke in broad daylight. "No. That won't do, Yuno. I'll come up with something. Just you wait." I said as I gave her a stern look. As I tried to calm Yuno down, the door that leads to father's room suddenly opened. A sleepy Reisuke walked out of the room. He gave us a silly look as he passed by us.

_With your brains, you'll never find it._

Huh? Did he just say that? A sudden burst of annoyance blazed inside of me. I'm doing my best to keep my emotions in check, and you would simply taunt me like that? Heh. Alright, little boy. I'll play your game. I stared at him intently as he walked towards the bathroom.

_I'll defeat you in your own game._

The morning quickly passed. So far, Reisuke is acting normal as he played around with Father. On the hand, me and Yuno are pretty exhausted looking around. Even with our combined efforts, we can't find the brat's diary. What the hell is the ability of his diary? Does it give him any data about us? Tsh. I can't believe it. That kid is actually a genius. No wonder we're having a rough time looking for his diary. "Stay put. I'll look around outside." I said as I gave a Yuno a pat on her head. She then gave me a nod before sat down on the sofa.

Minutes passed as I looked around in the garden. "God. It's hot." I mumbled to myself as I looked around in the bushes. Is it possible for him to hide it here? Damn it. I gave out a sigh as I realized its nowhere to be found in the garden. As I wiped my sweat, I then heard some stomping noises coming from the inside of the house. What the hell is that? Is that-

Yuno.

How could I leave her alone?! How could I forget that I have to keep her in check at all times?! I quickly dashed towards the sliding door. What?! Someone locked this?! I hurriedly ran towards the front door. I quickly opened the door and ran towards the hallway. The moment that I reached the hallway, a surprising sight shocked me. Father's body fell flat on the floor as Yuno smacks the back of his head with a hammer. "Father!" I shouted as I rushed to my Father's side and quickly checked his pulse. Thank god. He's still alive. "Toshii. I didn't mean to.." Yuno mumbled as she realized the consequence of her sudden action. "What the hell, Yuno?! The moment I leave you alone, you'll go in a bloody rampage?!" I angrily snarled at her as I carried Father's body and brought him towards the living area.

As I placed Father's body on top of the sofa, Yuno sat down behind me. She kept on apologizing as she cried her heart out. I ignored her cries and hurriedly went to the kitchen. I grabbed a bag of ice from the freezer and quickly went back to the living area. As I mend my unconscious Father, I slowly realized what I'm doing. Why am I mending this man? He used me for his own means! Why am I worried about him? Maybe, just maybe. I still have my respect for him as the one who brought me into this world.

Luckily, the swelling on Father's nape quickly lessened. As I gave out a sigh of relief, I then shifted my attention on the crying Yuno. "I'm so sorry, Toshi!" She apologized once again as she tried to wipe away her own tears. As my annoyance and anger suddenly disappeared, I sat down in front of her. "Come on. Stop that." I said as I wiped away her tears gently. "But I did something that made Toshii angry!" She replied as her tears came out some more. "That's already in the past, okay? We couldn't do something about it. Now isn't the time about this, Yuno. We still need to find that brat's diary." I stated as I leaned my forehead on hers. She fell silent and slowly calmed down. "I'm no longer angry, okay? Help me out with this, alright? Yuno?" I asked as I tried to give her a smile. "Yes, Toshii!" She replied as she wiped away her tears and stood up. "Where are you going?" I asked her as I was about to carry Father's body. "I'll look for his diary!" She replied as she headed towards the kitchen.

As Yuno left the living area, I then carried Father's body. I can't let this man get caught on my own battles. Yeah, he made me go through hell, but this isn't the way I want him to die. If he will die, he will die after he explained his side of his story. I went of the house and then carried his body towards my car. I opened the lock and opened the back door. I placed his body inside and left the door open. That will do for now. I just have to call an ambulance once we're done with this mess.

As I went back inside of the house, I hurriedly walked towards the kitchen. The next thing that I saw as I entered the kitchen surprised me. Yuno was lying on top of the countertop. She was kneeling down, but head rested on top of the marble countertop. What the hell is she doing?! Did Reisuke attacked earlier than usual? No. There wasn't any static that came from my diary. "Yuno! Are you okay?!" I asked her as I rushed toward her side.

**DING DONG!**

Huh? Was that, the doorbell? Talk about bad timing. Who would be visiting us at this moment? As I peeked outside the kitchen, I then saw Reisuke walking towards the front door. Where did he come from?! I cautiously walked towards the front door. As I was a few meters away from him, Yuno suddenly ran towards the hall.

_Don't let him get that package, Toshii! His diary is inside of that package!_

My eyes widen as I heard Yuno's order. How did that kid managed to send his diary to himself?! Wait! He accompanied Father when he went out to go to the convenience store! Damn this genius kid! I quickly dashed towards Reisuke as he opens the door. I quickly grabbed on to the package and closed the door shut.

_**BZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

We did it! We managed to get his diary! Reisuke gave me a surprised look as I taunted him with my smile. "Looks like you lost, kiddo." I stated as I held on the package firmly. There's no doubt about it. His diary is inside of this small package. As I tore open the top portion of the package, a sudden smirk appeared in Reisuke's face. Wait. Why is there a string attached to the top part?

_**BZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

_TOSHIII!_

A sudden cloud of gas came out from the package. As the trap caught me off guard, I wasn't able to react to it. My body fell on the floor as the poison started to take effect on my body. I struggled to stand up, but my body didn't respond to my command. It feels like my nervous system suddenly shut itself down and my digestive system is on fire. I started to salivate profusely as struggled to breathe. Damn it! How could this brat outsmart me?! How could I fall for that?! Before I knew it, my vision slowly blackened.

Did I, die?

_Not just yet, landlord. _

My vision slowly came back. I found myself inside the bathroom with Yuno. Did she, brought me here? My body is so weak at the moment. I couldn't even feel my legs. It feels like my eyes will fall out any second now. Before I could even ask Yuno about our current situation, a sudden feeling of nausea attacked my weaken body. Tears came from my eyes as I suddenly vomited on the floor. "Toshii! Hang in there!" Yuno shouted in fear and patted me on my back.

_Come on, big sis! Let's play!_

That voice. Is that brat taunting us? As much as I want to respond to his taunts, I couldn't since I'm struggling to keep my consciousness. "I didn't expect this to happen, big sis. I didn't know that my HYPER VISION DIARY, that could only show one entry during morning, noon and evening, could bring big bro down! Well, what did you expect? I'm such an elite!" Reisuke proudly stated as he kept on knocking on the bathroom door. "Leave Toshii alone! It was I who probably killed your parents! Take it out on me!" Yuno woefully shouted as she held onto my hand.

_You hear that, landlord? Your little bride is taking the blame. How pitiful. The so called Thanatos of the underground world was outsmarted and killed by a 5 year old boy. I'm not sure if I should I laugh because of your stupidity, or because of that brat's determination._

"Yuno. No. It was I who killed his parents. Don't take the blame." I weakly stated as I held on to Yuno's hand firmly. "I don't really care who killed my parents. They were annoying. They just kept on fighting and ignored me. Anyways, come on big sis! If you play with me, I'll let you get big bro's antidote!" Reisuke playfully stated. Yuno's eyes widen as she heard that. No. If she goes out now, she'll die, and in my current state, I wouldn't be able to save her.

"Yuno. No. I'll manage, somehow." I weakly stated as I tried to persuade Yuno to not to gamble her life. "Come on, Toshii. You don't need to worry about me. Don't worry. I'll get that antidote in no time!" Yuno said as she gave me a warm and assuring smile. She then stood up and approached the door. "I'll be back soon, Toshii. Hold on. Please." She said before she took a deep breath and started her gamble. As I was about to shout out for her, the sudden feeling of nausea came back. As I vomited once more, I felt my consciousness starting to drift away. My face fell flat on the cold porcelain tiled floor as my vision slowly disappeared.

_Come on, landlord. Will go out down like this? Will you let her die?_

I suddenly regained my senses. I slowly pushed my body up and sat down beside the sink. As I leaned my head on the door, I then heard the sudden sound of electricity near the bathroom. Oh no. Yuno! I have to get up. I have to save her! I don't fucking care if I die here. As long she lives, I will have no regrets! I will not allow her to die here!

_That's the spirit. Now go and prove me that you are Thanatos._

After quickly pushing myself up, I then took a big breath. Here's my gamble. I will find a way to save Yuno, and if I fail, we both die here. I could feel my eyes burning with determination as I gripped the bathroom door's handle. I cannot hesitate now! I quickly opened the door and ran outside. I caught a glimpse of Yuno's knife on the floor. I quickly grabbed it and headed towards the staircase.

As I arrived at the foot of the staircase, I then saw Reisuke approaching a downed Yuno with an injection in his hand. That's the poison that will kill her! Without thinking, I took a step upwards and flung the knife towards his direction. Due to his shock, he didn't manage to evade and the knife pierced through his right shoulder. He let out a grunt as he retreated upwards. I quickly approached Yuno. She's still conscious, but her body isn't responding. If this continues, she'll die thanks to the poison gas. This is it then. I grabbed on to her shaking shoulders and leaned closer to her. I then locked my lips onto hers, and with that, I gave out my last breath to her. As I moved away from her, a familiar sound caught our attention.

_**BZZZZZT!**_

I weakly checked my diary. I gave out a weak smile as Yuno's dead flag was lifted. As Yuno sat up and angrily stared at the injured Reisuke, all of my remaining strength disappeared from my body. As my eyes slowly closed, I felt my body tumbled downwards. As my body crashed on top of the wooden flooring, my consciousness slowly drifted away. This is it for me. If I die here, I will have no regrets. I managed to live a normal life, even if it's a short time. I'm sorry, Yuno. I wasn't even able to say my feelings for you.

_Live on, Yuno. _

_What a predicament you were in, First. I can't believe the great Thanatos was brought into this state._

I felt something taping my cheek. I'm not, dead? I slowly opened my eyes. Though my vision is blurry, I could distinguish the figure in front of me. Of all the people that could appear right now, why would be Ninth be here? I weakly looked around. I found myself at the porch with an unconscious Yuno at my side. Did she win? I'm still alive, so that means she managed to get the antidote.

"Hey, First. Are you sure that you should trust that girl beside you?" Minene asked me as she stood up and fixed her leather eye-patch, which covered her left eye. I tried to respond to her question, but my body is not yet responding to my commands. Not to mention, I'm numb all over. "Take her out as soon as possible. In this survival game of ours, she's the biggest threat in your life." She stated as fixed the folds in her trench coat and left the vicinity.

Wait. How could this girl be my greatest threat? She saved me countless of times. I don't have any doubts that she truly loves me. So, how is she a threat? As that question was left unanswered in my mind, my consciousness then slowly drifted once again.

_Yuno._


	8. Chapter 8 - His First Bonds

Two weeks has passed after we defeated Fifth. Thanks to Yuno's blow on his nape with a hammer, Father was hospitalized. Luckily, he is slowly recovering to his 100% percent state. After getting cleared from the hospital, I went straight ahead to this alleyway near my condominium. Though it was still morning and the sun shone brightly in the sky, the alleyway was dark and eerie. It's been a while since I went to this place. It's been 6 months, to be exact. As I walked slowly in the alleyway, my phone kept on vibrating. I surveyed the area first, before taking out my phone. Heh. I got 5 messages from Yuno.

_I got cleared today!_

_Toshii! Toshii! I wanna go on a date!_

_Hello, Yuno to Toshii._

_Are you hiding from me?_

_Toshii! Where are you?!_

Jeez. This girl is too clingy, but I really find that attractive. As I began typing my reply to her messages, I felt a presence creeping behind me. With one swift motion, I quickly turned around and held my phone like I was holding a gun, to scare this presence. To my surprise, the barrel of a Glock 17 was aimed in the middle of my eyes. I felt the sudden surge of adrenaline inside my body. As I was about to disarm this fellow in front of me, I then hear-

**CLICK!**

Huh? Was that, from the man's gun? I cautiously brushed aside the barrel. As my view became clear, a sudden feeling of nostalgia filled my mind. "Tsh. You're slower than before." The punk said as he gave out a chuckle and started laughing. The punk was slim and had a clunky build. His long, black hair covered his right eye. He stood 2 inches shorter than me. From his appearance, you could say he's in my age group. There's no way I could forget this person. "Is that so? When did you start training?" I asked him as I gave out a sigh. "Never did. I just have faster reflexes than yours." He replied as he tried to hold his laughter.

This person, who is laughing his ass off in front of me, is the same person who gave me the opportunity to have a normal life. He gave the money, the data, the unit, and the opportunity that he thinks I deserve. Not to mention, he rescued me during my last contract. There is no possibility I would forget about this punk.

After he finished laughing his bum off, he then inspects me carefully. "You look pale. You came from the hospital?" He asked. "Well, yeah. Got caught with an inci-" "The Okugawa Residence incident?" He asked as he gives me a sly grin. "Wait. How did you know that?" I asked as I crossed my arms and leaned back on the wall. "You know me. I have to live up to my title. I'm not an INFORMATION BROKER for no reason." He exclaimed. "Anyway, I have to keep this short. I have to gather some data. You better give me some updates soon." He stated as he checked his watch. "Alright. I'll introduce someone too." I stated with a smirk on my face. "Oh yeah? Oh. Before I go, about that case, the police listed a 5 year old boy missing. Did you, kill him?" He asked with a curious look on his face. "Hell no. That's not my thing." I replied. "I see. See you, then, Thanatos." He said before he ran out of the alley. "See you, Mist." I murmured as I watched him run off.

The day quickly passed. I sat down on the sofa with some files on my hand, as the light of the buildings around my condominium started to light up the night sky. Thanks to Ninth's attack, we were temporarily transferred to UMESATO MIDDLE SCHOOL, which is a nearby middle school. It's a bit farther than our old school, but it is still quite near from my place. As I looked at my files, I remembered the names of the students, and teachers who were killed during Ninth's attack. If I managed to anticipate an attack like that beforehand, will I manage to save those people? Heh. Why am I getting sappy over that? I had no choice but to focus on Ninth. Like it or not, I cannot save them. I simply cannot save them.

As I managed to shrug off the guilt, I placed the files aside and went to my room. I lay myself down on top of my queen-sized bed. Am I ready to go back to school? Can I live a normal life again? The survival game is still on-going. There's no guarantee that no one will attack us there. Not to mention, Yuno is in a different class. It looks like I have to stop being so shy and start acting friendly if I want to quickly adapt in our new environment. As I stared blankly at the ceiling, I felt my eyes closing on its own. I texted Yuno goodnight before I fell asleep.

I woke up earlier than usual. I quickly took a shower, and then cooked my breakfast, which was a simple ham and egg, on top of a toasted bread. For my first day in our new school, I wore my usual white long sleeves, my black jacket, my black slim cut jeans, and my white flats. This attire will do. I hope it wouldn't attract too much attention from my new classmates. I hurriedly went out, locked my unit, and headed to the elevator lobby.

As I walked towards our new school, I noticed some familiar faces heading towards the same direction. If my memory serves correct, these guys are my schoolmates from my previous school. As I reached the intersection, I felt someone was staring at me intently. I slowly took a peek behind my back. At the corner of the wall, stood my pink-haired stalker, or should I say, my girlfriend. Yuno was in her usual cheerful mood as she stared at me with awe. "You look so cool today, Toshii!" She exclaimed as I noticed she was blushing more than the usual. "Oh. Good morning, Yuno." I said as I gave her a warm smile.

After our greetings, we then continued walking towards our new school. I kept on yawning and stretching, as Yuno walked beside me closely. "Did you stay up late night?" She asked with a smile. "No. I think my sleeping position is bad. I think I should fix it later." I replied as I gave out another yawn. Come to think of it, I haven't made any friends. Well, Yuno doesn't count when she suddenly forced herself into my life. I don't mind it all, but I really want to use my own efforts to make my own friends. "Uh. Yuno? Do you think I could make any friends this time?" I asked her. "Toshii. I'm pretty sure that you already know this, but, you can't use your diary in this new school." She stated as she avoided my question. "To be honest, you should refrain from using it at all. Third and Ninth managed to track you down thanks to that, right?" She explained with a serious tone in her voice. "Alright, madam. I'll do my best not to use it whenever we're in school." I said as I unstrapped my phone from wrist and placed it inside my pocket.

As I placed my phone inside my pocket, I felt someone staring at us. I stopped walking and looked at the opposite side of the road. There stood a young man, who had a messy, silver hair, and rose red eyes. He was wearing a white top with a black neck tie, a blue jacket, a pair of blue jeans, and black loafers. He gave me a smirk as our eyes meet. I felt an ominous presence coming from him.

"You don't need any friends, Toshii. We end up in different classes, but I'll- Wait. What's wrong, Toshii?" Yuno asked as she noticed I stopped in my tracks. "Huh? Oh. There's this guy who was staring at us." I replied as I shifted my attention to Yuno. "A guy? Where? I don't see anyone." She stated as she approached me. "What are you talking about? He's right the-" As I looked back on the spot where the guy stood, I was surprised to see that the guy is nowhere to be found. "Are you sure you have enough rest, Toshii?" Yuno asked me as she inspects my face closely. "Yeah. Don't worry about it." I frantically replied as I moved back. "Anyway, I think we should walk home together after school, too. I'll wait for you later by the gate!" She stated as she gave me a warm smile. "Sure thing." I replied as I tried to respond to her smile with a smile of my own.

We finally reached out new school around 8:00am. As me and Yuno parted ways, I surveyed the area for any potential threats that would attack us. So far, I haven't seen anyone who could potentially attack us. It seems like everything is normal. After placing my white loafers inside my locker and putting on my uwagutsu, I then proceeded to head towards my classroom. If I could remember it correctly, I'm placed in 2-C. Luckily, I easily located my classroom. I slowly opened the back door and went inside the room.

The room was filled with students that I don't recognize. I think they're my schoolmates who were in another class. I cautiously walked towards an empty desk and sat on its chair. I found myself in the last chair of the 2nd row. "This desk will do." I murmured to myself as I placed my small bag on the back of the chair. As I was fixing my things, the guy sitting in front of me gave out a chuckle. As I looked at him, I quickly recognized the fellow. "You're really an idiot, aren't you? Why are you sneaking in?" He asked as he tried to control his laughter.

In front of me was Kosaka, Ouji. He has long, black hair, and yellow-brown eyes. He was a part of the track team in my previous school. I could also remember that he also used to pick on me for being too quiet. Not to mention, he was one of the people who managed to fool on me and bring me to Ninth. Of all the luck that I have, why do I get to sit at the back of this punk? "Howdy, Toshiro. You look well." Kousaka stated with a smirk on his face. "I'm surprised that you even came. I mean, you practically killed those kids in our class!" He stated with a loud voice, which attracted the attention of our other classmates. Tsh. He's already trying to act cool and destroy my chance to establish any reputation. "You want a fresh start here, don't you? Like I'll let you! Be the lonely guy without any friends at this school, too." He taunted as he started to laugh.

Tsh. I had it with this punk. "Oh? Wait. Do I remember you?" I asked him as I glared at him intently. "Pft. Trying to act innocent? I'm Kousaka, Ouji. I was one of your brilliant classmates." He said as he introduced himself. "Oh! That Kousaka, Ouji, who helped the terrorist get what she wants? Wow. This is such an honour to be in the presence of such idiotic person." I stated with a loud voice. After hearing my taunt, he then stopped laughing and glared back at me. "You little piece of-"

Suddenly, a rolled up magazine smacked Kousaka's head. "What the heck was that for?! Who are you?!" Kousaka angrily asked the brown-haired girl who smacked his head. From her looks and apparel, I could say that this girl is one those famous, sporty girls that you would commonly see in a school. "I'm the famous Hinata of Umesato. No fighting on the first day." Hinata introduced herself as she crossed her arms and smiled at Kousaka. As my attention was fixated on this girl, another girl walked towards her.

"Hinata is a nosy girl, isn't she? It's best to leave folks like them alone" The girl stated me as she stopped beside me. In the edge of my eye, I could see this purple-haired girl standing beside me. "You're pretty cold hearted you know that, Mao?" Hinata asked the purple-haired girl as she walks toward her. "And then love will ultimately flourish." Mao replied as she took a picture of Hinata with her phone. What the hell. It's my first day in this school, and I'm already surrounded by weirdos? "Give me a break." I murmured to myself as I rested my forehead on top of my hand.

After the heated argument between me and Kousaka simmered down, homeroom eventually started. After our homeroom advisor introduced himself, he then gave out a notice which came from the Umesato's security and student welfare department. As I quickly skimmed through the notice, our homeroom advisor then explains the recent killings which were happening in the vicinity. It looks like the school wants us to go home by groups so that they could lessen the probability of the serial killer to attack students from Umesato. Well, this is actually a chance for me to get acquainted with my new classmates. Not to mention, I have to make sure my reputation is still salvageable thanks to Kousaka's remarks earlier.

"You haven't heard about it? There's a serial on the loose in the city. He managed to kill a lot of people within the past week." Kousaka whispered as he looked back at me. Did he just read my mind? Putting that aside, this case is different with the Third. I mean, there's no way that these recent killings are his to claim. After all, he's dead. "I heard the corpses looked bad, too." Hinata whispered at us. "I heard they were eaten. The corpses were always mutilated to the point they couldn't identify the person anymore. Not to mention, the bodies were covered in teeth marks." She explained as she tried to spook us. "Teeth marks? That should be cannibalism, right?" I asked her with a curious look on my face. "Beats me." Hinata replied as she slouched back on her seat. "From what I heard, the police have kept a lid on the information. Maybe, Akise-kun would know something about this." Mao exclaimed.

"Akise? Who's that?" I asked them. "See how the seat beside you is open? It's the seat of the class's biggest oddball. He skips school and play around, pretending to be a detective." Hinata explained as she points the empty seat on my left side. Okay, that confirms it. I'm grouped with weirdos. "Oh! Nohiru! I came up with something interesting!" She whispered to me as she gave me a smile. "Hm? What is it?" I asked. "How about we go to the park later? From what I've heard, the recent killings took place there!" She stated with excitement in her voice. "What?! You're going there? I want to go too!" Kousaka said as he butt in our conversation. "Well, where Hinata goes, I go." Mao stated as she gave out a carefree smile.

_This is an opportunity. _

Time quickly passed. As the dismissal bell rang, the four of us went out of the room. "Oh yeah, I haven't introduced myself. I'm HINO, HINATA! Like I said earlier, I'm the famous Hinata of the Umesato Middle School!" Hinata said as she introduced herself to us. "And NONOSAKA, MAO! I'm Hinata's best friend!" Mao followed up as she introduced herself too. Things are progressing smoothly! I managed to get acquainted with my new classmates in an instant! Time to introdu- "I'm the brilliant KOUSAKA, OUJI! If we're going to be a group, I will be the leader!" Kousaka said as he tried to introduce himself gallantly. "Yeah, yeah. Sure." Hinata said as she brushed off Kousaka's introduction and looked at me with a smile. "Uh. Nohiru, Toshiro. Pleased to meet you." I said as I introduced myself with a flustered look on my face.

We eventually reached the school's gates. Oh, right. I remember. Yuno wants me to go home with her. I think I should bring her along with us today so that you could also get acquainted with these guys. "Toshii!" Yuno shouted as she ran towards me. "Yo. We're going to the park today. Do you want to tag along?" I asked her as I ready myself to introduce my classmates. She didn't respond, but instead, she glared intently at Hinata. What is this killing intent coming from her?! "A friend of yours, Nohiro? Anyway, let's go! We better reach the park before the sunsets!" Hinata stated as she ran ahead with Mao. "Wait for me! I'm the leader of this group!" Kousaka shouted as he followed the two. "Ah. They're pretty energetic. Anyway, you okay?" I asked Yuno as I inspect her face closely. "It's nothing." Yuno replied as she looked away from me. "Are you sure? Anyway, let's go." I said as I reached out for her with my right hand. Fortunately, she took my offer. We eventually caught up with the three.

We managed to sneak inside the SAKURAMI CENTRAL PARK with no efforts at all. The police are a bit too lax for my opinion. The park was eerily empty thanks to the recent killings. As Kousaka marches in front of us, I then noticed an annoyed look on Yuno's face. "Are you really sure that everything's okay? You look quite upset." I asked her as I moved closer to her. Again, Yuno didn't respond. Okay, she's really upset. "Is it about walking back home together? Uh. Well, this is an opportunity for me to make some friends, Yuno. I don't want to miss this chance." I calmly explained to her. "Whatever you want, Toshii." She coldly replied. Eck. I don't know what I can do to cheer up Yuno.

We eventually reached the playground area. There were bloodstains on the ground near the swings. "Wow! This totally looks like a crime scene!" Hinata cheerfully stated as she approaches the bloodstains. "The chalk marks are still here." Mao commented as she followed Hinata closely. "Cool stuff!" Kousaka commented with an excited tone on his voice. As I approached the three, I noticed Yuno didn't follow me and stood back by the nearby tree. I'll just make it up for her later. I just do hope that a kiss on the cheek would cheer her up. As the three started to play in the playground, I went around and surveyed the area. It looks like there no traces or evidences that the police forgot to look at. Bummer. I really thought I could practice my deduction skills here. "Nohiro! Come on! Join us!" Hinata shouted as they played around in the jungle gym. "Coming!" I shouted back as I took a glance at Yuno before running towards them.

Time quickly passed by. As we rested by the vending machine, I looked at my watch to check the time. It's already 4:45pm? Well, time passes quickly when you're having fun. As I chug down my iced tea, I couldn't stop myself from smiling. I'm back to normal life. This is the life that I yearn so much for. As the three of them started spewing out the weird green drink that they bought, I noticed that Hinata was looking at Yuno, who was standing a few meters away from us. "Hey! You should join us, Yuno-chi!" Hinata shouted as she tries to persuade Yuno to play with us. I saw Yuno muttering some words and continued to scribble on the sand with her brown leather shoe.

The sun was already setting. After resting, we then followed Hinata to the view deck. The energetic brown-haired girl managed to outpace me and reached the top first. "I was getting a excited since it's a crime scene, but I guess that's all there is to this place." Hinata stated as gave she gave out a sigh. As I stood beside her, I do wonder. Why would she even bother to meddle with a guy like me? I'm quiet, mysterious, and probably intimidating thanks to my face. Why would she be interested to hang with me? "Uh. Hinata-san, why are bothering with me? It's not like I'm someone interesting or something." I asked her with a curious look on my face. "Hm? Well, it's because we're friends, silly!" She replied with a smile.

_Friends? We're friends?_

A sudden burst of happiness filled my chest. I can't help but to smile back at her. "Yeah. We're friends." I said as I tried my best to control this happiness inside of me. "Let's go over there this time!" Hinata said as he pointed the area near the observatory. "Sure thing." I said as I watched her ran ahead. "Hinata is very considerate of others despite her appearance. You can call me Mao-chan, too, Nohiru-kun." Mao stated as she smiles at me. "Uh. Of course, Mao-chan!" I replied as Yuno walks to my side. "Oh, but for your information, you can't become more than friends with Hinata." Mao commented with a giggle. "Oh. Well, I'm not looking for something like that, so don't worry." I stated as I gave out a chuckle.

"Toshii, we should go." Yuno whispered to my ear as she leaned in closer to me. "Right. Just, let me hang with them a bit longer." I stated as I nuzzled her pink hair with my hand. The moment I removed my hand from Yuno's head, a familiar noise startled us.

_**BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

No way. That's from my diary! Someone changed the future! "Someone changed the future. An owner is nearby!" Yuno exclaimed with a worried tone in her voice. "I know that! Shit. Should I use it?! I don't want to drag everyone into this!" I shouted as I began to panic. I then got my phone out of my pocket. "Sorry Yuno, but this is an emergency! We have to use our diaries!" I exclaimed as I opened my phone and checked the recent entry.

**June 1 17:32 [Sakurami Central Park]**

_Hino, Hinata_

She was attacked by the serial killer. She was quickly killed and one of her arms was torn off.

Shit! This is what I feared! "We should go and avoid this, Toshii! Who cares about these people?!" Yuno angrily shouted at me. "I do! I care for them! Hinata, Mao, and Kousaka are my friends! I will not let anyone to harm them!" I angrily snarled back at Yuno. Damn it! What time is it?! 17:28pm?! We don't much time! I quickly sprinted towards the observatory area. Yuno quickly followed me. "What's the matter? Why the sudden rush?" Mao asked as she tries to catch up with us. "Hold up! What's going on?!" Kousaka asked as he closely followed Mao. I could feel the cold sweat dripping down from my face.

_I will not let that happen. I will not let that happen to my first friend!_

As we sprinted towards the nearby hill, something on the grass caught my attention. I stopped on my tracks and slowly looked at that thing on ground. Oh no. It can't be! I quickly checked my watch as anxiety and fear started to cloud my mind. It's already 17:32pm. No way. I failed? My legs started to shake. No, it can't be. Maybe it's not yet too late! Maybe if I perform CPR or something, I could save her! Tsh. Damn it! I slowly approached Hinata's corpse, which was nearby some bushes. As I was few meters away from her mangled body, I then heard a metallic noise coming from the direction of her corpse. To my surprise, a large number of dogs were angrily gnarling at us. What the hell are those things on their mouths?! Metallic teeth?! I quickly went back to Yuno and others. "Is that, Hinata?!" Mao asked with fear in her voice. I couldn't answer as my fear started to take over my body.

Crap. I didn't bring any weapon with me today. The only thing I could use against these dogs is my cutter. Will that even work? If I go in alone, I would just be mangled and end up dead like Hinata. If I ask Yuno to fight with me, the chances for our survival would rise, but it's still dangerous! Shit. Shit! What should I do?! We can't outrun them! I have to do it! I have to stall these beasts! I can't hesitate! I have to d-

_Let me help._

A voice! It came from behind us! I quickly turned around and brought out my cutter. The familiar silver haired boy that I saw earlier appeared in front of us. "Akise-kun! Since when were you here?!" Mao asked him with a surprised tone on her voice. "Since you guys when inside the park. I knew you guys would die if I didn't interfere." He said as he slowly walks towards me. Wait. He knew we'll die?! What is he?! He might be a diary owner! I quickly dashed in front of me and readied my attack. As I was about to slash him, he quickly countered my attack and disarmed me. "You're trembling. That's pretty cute." He said as held my wrist firmly and caressed my face. What the hell?! I pulled my arm back and glared at him angrily. "Don't worry. I'm Aru. AKISE, ARU. I'm your friend." He said as he introduced himself.

"Here. I'm sorry for disarming you. Does your wrist hurt?" Akise asked as he gave back my cutter. I didn't respond, but took my cutter from his hand. Who the hell is this person? How can he at my level in CQC?! "Toshiro-kun. I'm sure that you have many questions for me, but right now, we have to get out of here." He stated as he pointed at the dogs. Crap. They started to move towards us! "There's an observatory tower ahead. We can all make it there, right?" He said as he suddenly grabbed on to my arm and ran towards the tower.

"Stop touching Toshii!" Yuno angrily shouted as she followed us closely. "Save the complaints for later!" Akise stated as he kept on running and dragging me towards the tower. Mao and Kousaka followed us closely too. Why? Why is this happening? Why would the serial killer attack Hinata?! Is it because she was alone earlier?! Damn it! I should have gone with her earlier! I could have protected her! Damn it all!

We managed to reach the observatory safely. Luckily, we managed to outrun the hounds. As Akise closed the main doors, we all tried to catch our breaths. "Are you okay, Toshiro-kun?" He asked as he stood by the doors. "Yeah. I'm okay, but, Hinata is.. Damn it. I can't believe it." I replied as I tried to relax my breathing. A few seconds later, I managed to calm down. As the Mao and Kousaka rested for a bit, I noticed the dogs were angrily gnarling at us through the windows. They're too many for us to fight. Not to mention, probably me, Akise, and Yuno, are the only ones who are capable to fight. We're trapped.

As I sat down to allow my body to rest, Akise approached me. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. I'm Aru, Akise. My dream is to become a world-famous detective." He said as he introduced himself to me. "Oh. I'm-" "Nohiru, Toshiro-kun." He said as he cut me off from my introduction. I gave him a cautious look as he gave out a chuckle. "Relax. No need to be alarmed. I've been researching you for the past few days." He stated. Wait. What? Don't tell me he's another stalker of mine. I already have Yuno as my number one stalker, and I don't need more of them in my life. "Have I piqued your interest? In that case, let me continue." He stated.

"The serial killer case, the school bombing, and the Omekata-kyo incident. I've discovered that you're related to all of these. My sixth sense is telling me that you have some great secret." Akise explained as he continued to stare at me with a smile. Tsh. Does he know about the diaries and my previous life?! How keen is this guy could be?! "No, no! Don't get me wrong! I don't believe you've done anything wrong. I mean, look at that." He said as he pointed at the windows. Shit. The dogs are trying to open them. We'll die if the manage to get inside. "It's clear that they're after you. I was worried you may be getting caught up in another predicament." He stated as he leaned in closer towards me. "Why? Why would you even bother?" I asked him as I took a step back. "Well, after all, we're friends and classmates." He replied with a smile.

I don't remember making friends with this guy. I know he's that classmate that HInata was talking about earlier, but when did he befriend me? He may look nice and all, but he's too suspicious. We can't hide the idea that he might be a diary owner too.

_Is he really your friend?_

I turned around as Yuno walks towards me. "Toshii, look at our situation. The one controlling those dogs should be nearby. It's possible that one of us is that person." She stated as she began to look at the other three with suspicion in her eyes. From the way she said that, she's implying that we should just kill these three and be done with it. "The most suspicious one of all is that guy." She said as she pointed her finger at Akise. Akise merely smiled at her. "Hey! The dog's forcing its way in!" Kousaka shouted as he pointed at a dog which almost opened a window.

The atmosphere was thick with fear and suspicion. Mao is distressed, while Kousaka is panicking. "If they all come at once, we're done for." Akise stated as he looked around the area. Shit. I have to do something. I can't let it end like this. I can't let my new found friends die like this! I brought out my diary. If they'll die on this day, I can do something about it and save them!

As expected, I found our entries in my diary. How come I didn't hear any static earlier? Could it be that our death flags were already up when we found Hinata's body? Not to mention, there are a lot of scenarios than the usual, and we have the same scenarios. If I contradict one scenario, that will move on till we reach the last one! We could do this!

"Toshii." Yuno said as she called my attention. I turned my head towards her. "We should use them as a distraction so we can run away." She suggested with a smile. What the hell. I can't just give up their lives! "I mean, you can't clearly trust them." She stated as she continued to give the other three a glare. "Damn you, Toshiro!" Kousaka shouted as he braced the window.

If I want to survive, then I have to use the diary, but if they find out about this ability, they might turn their backs from me. I'll lose my new friends in an instant. Fuck it! I can't hesitate now! I have no choice! I don't care if they leave me after this! I will not let my friends die!

I quickly followed the scenarios in the diary and contradicted them. One by one, I ordered Akise, Mao, and Kousaka, to brace the window which the dogs will try to open. Yuno was clearly against my actions. At first, the three was hesitant to follow my orders, but in the end, they eventually listened.

_**BZZZZZZZZZT!**_

After some time, we finally managed to avoid our death flags. "Nice going, Toshiro!" Kousaka praised me as he gave me a pat on the back. "Come to think of it, you were looking at your phone the entire time." He commented as he looks at me suspiciously. "Uh. Well, yeah. There were these entries that kept on popping here. It's like they were possible endings to our scenario earlier. It's sort of a diary." I explained. I felt Yuno's sharp glare piercing my back. "There are many phones with a large number of applications on them, but I've never seen one that can predict the future." Akise stated as he looked at us.

To my relief, there were no negative reactions from them. So, does that mean that they still think of me as their friend? As I was busy thinking, Mao slowly approached me. Out of the blue, she suddenly took my diary and locked my right arm on my back.

_**BZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

What the fuck?! That came from our diaries! Does it mean it's not yet over? What the hell is Mao doing?! "You really are amazing, Nohiru-kun." Mao said as she brought out a knife and aimed it on my throat. My body suddenly froze. What is the meaning of this?! She managed to catch me off guard! Was she the one who was ordering the dogs earlier?! I can't move! Damn it! "Toshii!" Yuno shouted as she tried to move towards us.

_Don't move!_

My eyes widen as I heard that voice. It's like I heard that voice a while ago. Wait. It can't be! We saw her corpse earlier! "I totally didn't expect this. I didn't think Nohiru would spill his secret like this." The voice said with a disappointed tone on her voice. I could see a silhouette entering the main door. No way. What the hell is happening?! How can Hinata be still alive?! "Forgive me, Nohiru." Hinata said as she approached us. Before Yuno could make a move, Hinata glared at her. "Don't even think about it! I have this BREEDER DIARY!" Hinata exclaimed as she threatens Yuno. Wait. So she's the one who was ordering the dogs earlier! "To be honest, Nohiru isn't my true target. My real objective is your future diary, Aru, Akise!" She shouted as he pointed her finger at Akise.

"Oh? You were after me?" Akise asked with a grin on his face. "Yeah. Ever since you tried to do some research on my father, we can clearly say that you're a diary user!" Hinata angrily replied. Wait. Father? Is that the same person that Kurusu told me about during their meeting? The one who passed his diary to a third party?! If I could remember it correctly, it was TENTH who did that! Me and Yuno were still recovering when Deus called that meeting. Could it be that this third party is Hinata?! Come to think of it, I couldn't match HInata's body type to the silhouettes that I saw during the previous meetings.

"Well know. How about we play a game?" Akise suggested as he brought his phone. "What the hell are you talking about?!" Hinata angrily snarled at Akise. "It's simple. I toss a coin, you decide where it could go. If you win, you can get my diary. If I win, you'll give Toshiro-kun back." Akise stated as he calmly stared at Hinata with his rose-red eyes. Wait. He's gambling my life?! Who the hell does he think he is?!

_**BZZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

A static came from my diary. Hinata took my phone from Mao and proceeded to read the recent entry. "What's this?! Why does it have my name on it?! Not to mention, Akise, Kousaka, and Mao are in here too!" Hinata asked me as she showed me the entry.

**June 1 19:14 [Sakurami Central Park]**

_Nonosaka, Mao_

She tried to attack Toshiro as Hinata was losing the game. Second quickly steps in and slashed her throat.

**June 1 19:16 [Sakurami Central Park]**

_Kousaka, Ouji_

He was killed by Hinata's dogs.

**June 1 19:21 [Sakurami Central Park]**

_Akise, Aru_

Lost the game and was killed by Hinata.

He was killed as he tried to get back First. He was mangled by Hinata's dogs.

**June 1 19:30 [Sakurami Central Park]**

_Hino, Hinata_

She lost the game and was killed by Second with her cutter.

So, Akise could lose the game and be killed, or he could win the game but be killed by the dogs. Either way, Kousaka will be killed by Hinata's dogs. In the other hand, Mao and Hinata will die by Yuno's hands. Damn it. What kind of scenario did I place myself into?! My new found friends are trying to kill each other and I can't do anything!

"That's the Death Diary. If your name showed up there, you'll die within the day." I explained to Hinata as I could feel my cold sweat dripping down from my face. The four of them were shocked upon hearing my explanation. "Hm. Anyway, shall we play, Hinata-san?" Akise asked as he glared at Hinata.

The two started to play their gamble. Hinata used my diary to get the results, but there's no information she could get out from my diary. It could only show the possibilities that the gamble could end. In the end of the first round, Akise won. Fortunately, Mao and Hinata were good sport and released me. "Yo, Toshiro-kun." Akise greeted me as I walked towards him and Yuno. "Not bad. Your diary is pretty great in predicting things." I said as I praised his abilities. Before I could talk to Yuno, she suddenly grabbed Akise by the wrist and flipped him over. She mounted him and pointed her cutter on his neck. "I've been wondering. How come there isn't a static from your diary?" Yuno bluntly asked as she tightens her grip on Akise's wrist.

Come to think of it, she has a point. A static would always come out from our diaries whenever we change the future. "Yuno. Stop. We don't need to this right now." I calmly stated as I tried to grab her. "Don't stop me, Toshii! I can't let this man gamble your life! Tell me! Tell me your number!" Yuno shouted as she brings her cutter to Akise's neck.

_Heh._

In an instant, Akise countered Yuno and flipped her over. Who the hell is this guy?! How could he swiftly counter a hold like that?! He stood up and started to laugh. I could only stare at the two as confusion slowly took over my mind. Yuno managed to grab his phone as Akise flipped her. To our surprise, there weren't any entries in his diary. It was an empty notepad. "I'm no diary owner. You guys believed in that so much that I decided to play along." Akise explained to us as he offered Yuno a hand. Yuno pushed his hand away as she rejects his offer. "How dare you put Toshii's life on the line!" Yuno angrily shouted at him as she tried to stand up. Akise then leaned in closer to her. I could faintly hear his words as he whispers something to Yuno. As he gave a Yuno a pat on the back, Yuno's face suddenly lit up. What the hell was that about? "Now then. Let's continue! If I win this time, you'll give back Toshiro-kun's diary. If I lose, you get to kill me!" Akise proclaimed as he was set for round 2.

Before the start of round 2, Akise and Yuno huddled together. Are they talking about a plan? Why didn't they include me? As I was about the approach the two, Yuno then approached me. "Toshii. Forgive me." Yuno whispered. In an instant, I felt something hard hitting my solar plexus. My vision started to blur and shake as my consciousness drifted away. Why? Why did she had to do th-

_Your little bride is pretty crazy, landlord._

My consciousness came back when I felt someone tapping my cheek. I slowly opened my eyes. To my surprise, it was Akise who was tapping my cheek. "What the hell happened?" I asked him as I slowly sat up. My solar plexus area hurts like hell. I didn't know that Yuno could pack a punch. "Look over there." Akise said as he handed my phone and pointed towards Hinata to Mao. My eyes widen as I shifted my attention on the two. I can't believe it. Yuno stabbed Mao with her cutter. From the amount of blood that came out from Mao's wound, I could say that the stab is pretty deep. Though they took me as a hostage, I can't deny that I am still concerned about the two. They are still my friends and they have to explain their actions earlier.

Before I could approach the two, Akise grabbed my wrist and stopped me. "No. There are no words to comfort them." He stated. As Yuno, Akise, and Kousaka went out of the observatory, I slowly approached Hinata. She was trying to stop the bleeding of Mao's wound. On the other hand, Mao was unconscious and was lying on top of her blood. "I'll carry her. Let's go. There's still some time. We could-"

_Leave us alone!_

Hinata shouted at me as her tears fall from her weary eyes. Based on Mao's breathing, she's having a hard time already. Damn it. How could I let this happen? What was Yuno planning?! I clenched my fist as I tried to hold back my tears. Why does it have to end this way? One of my first friends will die thanks to Yuno's actions! Damn it all! "I'm sorry." I whispered as I stood up and exited the observatory with a heavy heart.

As the four of us sprinted across the park, we could hear the howls from the dogs. Are you serious?! Those hounds are chasing us?!

_**BZZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

Tsh. Another static from my diary and Yuno's. I quickly took my phone out and checked the entry.

**June 1 20:41 [Sakurami Central Park]**

_Kousaka, Ouji_

He was gnawed to death as Second and First used them as a distraction.

**June 1 20:45 [Sakurami Central Park]**

_Aru, Akise_

He was gnawed to death as Second and First used them as a distraction.

What the hell is this?! Why would I leave this two?! Not to mention, we'll use them as a distraction?! I'm not even thinking of that! Don't tell me Yuno is actually thinking to use them?! Wait! I can still change the future! The only person who could stop the hounds is Hinata! I just have to go back and convince her!

"Yuno! Akise! Kousaka! Please! Distract the dogs! I'll make a big turn and convince Hinata to stop the attack!" I shouted as we briefly stopped in our tracks to catch our breaths. "No, Toshii! We should just use these two as a distraction and run as fast as we can!" Yuno suggested and Kousaka and Akise glared at her. As usual, she's against my idea. "There's no time for us to argue! Akise! Kousaka! Good luck!" I shouted as I began to run back towards the hill.

As I was sprinting across the woods, I then heard someone's footsteps behind me. I cautiously turned my head around as I tried to keep my pace. To my surprise, it was Yuno. Why did she follow me?! "What are you doing?! We're supposed to split up!" I shouted at her as I kept on running. "I'm just our following our main plan, Toshii!" Yuno replied as she kept her pace with me. Main plan?! Damn it! She used the two as a distraction?!

I stopped on my tracks. What the hell is wrong with this girl?! Why is she using my friends like that?! Why can't she understand?! No matter how suspicious they are, they are still my first friends! I can't merely walk away and leave them to die! "I told you before, haven't I?! We will not throw their lives away!" I angrily shouted at Yuno. "If that's the case, Toshii, so be it." Yuno replied as she draws out her cutter. Wait. Is she planning to kill me too?! "Calm down!" I shouted at her as I took a step back.

She quickly dashed towards me. She's too fast! I'm not sure if I could counter her! Damn it! I have the bear with the pain! In the blink of an eye, Yuno passed me. To my surprise, she stabbed a dog which was about to attack me. "It looks like I have to protect you again, Toshii." Yuno stated as she pulls out her cutter from the dog's corpse. "Yuno. Why? Why are you doing your best to make me avoid these people? Am I not allowed to have any friends?" I asked her with pain in my voice. "It's because you don't need them. You already have me." She replied as she slowly approached me and was about to caress my face.

_I can't believe you're so selfish, Yuno._

I pushed Yuno away and ran towards the hill. Damn it! The slope is too steep and if I run down through here, I would probably end up hurting myself! From here, I could see Hinata tending the injured Mao by the stairs. I cannot hesitate now! I have to stop this madness! I could hear Yuno catching up to me. I took a deep breath and quickly ran along the slope. "Hinata-san!" I shouted as I tried to call her attention. Before I could reach the bottom of the slope, I felt an immense pain which was starting to swell up in my left ankle. I knew it. It looks like I sprained left ankle. I have to tough it out! I have to reach Hinata!

Unluckily, I tumbled down as I reached the end of the slope. Before I could run towards Hinata, my whole body froze in pain. The pain on my ankle is too immense. Is this a level 2 sprain?! Tsh. I have to keep going! It doesn't matter if I have to crawl towards her! I can't stop now! As I tried to pull my weight and start walking, Yuno quickly passed me and went straight for Hinata. Before Hinata could react, Yuno swiftly grabbed her and pointed her cutter on her neck. Suddenly, the dogs stopped from their tracks and obediently sat down as Hinata stopped the attack.

I limped my way towards them. "Yuno. Stop. That's enough." I said as I reached out for her. "No! She has to die!" Yuno angrily shouted at me as she drew the cutter closer to Hinata's neck. Hinata's body stared to shake in fear as blood started to drip down as the blade pricked through her skin. Akise and Kousaka managed to arrive in the scene. "Yuno! Stand down! Please! You already won! There is no point for you to do this!" I shouted back at her.

_If I let her live, if I let her be your friend, you might fall in love with her. That's why I have to kill her. I can't let that happen! I'm not going to let anyone get close to Toshii! Anyone that does, I'm going to kill them! You guys are planning to take Toshii away from me, arean't you?! _

My body froze as Yuno shouted those words. What the hell am I doing? I'm supposed to be her emotional support, right? There's no doubt she's a bit insane, but that proves that I have to be there help her. I can't let her lose her sanity. I can't let this girl go through this anxiety and fear! I can't let the girl that I love go through this!

_Right? I'm your only friend, right?_

_No, Yuno. You're not my friend._

"Nooooooo! Toshiiiii!" Yuno shouted in disbelief as I muttered those words. Her tears started to fall from face as my words shook her. I have to say this now. This is the only thing I could do calm her down. "Listen to me!" I shouted back at her. "Akise, Kousaka, Mao, Hinata-san. Everyone! I want you guys to meet somebody." I shouted as I tried to catch everyone's attention.

_Meet Gasai, Yuno. She's my girlfriend and my future wife._

With those words, Yuno's face lit up. "I see." Akise commented as he gave out a smile. "Well, that was pretty obvious." Kousaka stated as he gave out a confused look. "If you put aside our current situation, that was pretty bold of you, Nohiru-kun." Hinata said as she gave me a smile. "Yuno. Since you're my girlfriend, and not to mention, my future wife, please act accordingly. You have to treat my friends, as your own friends." I stated as I slowly approached the surprised Yuno, which was too surprised to notice that she let go of Hinata. "But Toshii, I-" "You don't want me to hate you, right?" I asked her as I took away her cutter and held her hand. "I'm sorry, Toshii! I'm really sorry!" She shouted as she apologized tearfully. "Hey. Hey. Remember? July 28th, right? Let's make sure that will happen." I whispered to her as I embraced the sobbing Yuno.

Moments later, I managed to calm Yuno down. I called an ambulance to tend the wounded Mao. I took out my phone and checked my diary. As I expected, everyone's names were cleared out. It looks like I managed to save everyone. I gave out a sigh of relief as I tilted my head back. Before closing my phone, I noticed something else in one of the recent entries.

**June 1 21:09 [Tsukishima Residense, Control Room]**

_Tsukishima, Karyuudo_

He was shot in the head by Fourth.

**DEAD END**

Hm? Who's Tsukishima, Karyuudo? Not to mention, there's a dead end flag in his entry. That means his a diary owner, right? Not to mention, he was killed by Fourth, which is Kurusu. Wait. Why would he do that in the first place?

_**BZZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

As I closed my phone, a static came out from one of the dogs' collars. "Hinata" The voice said as it called out for Hinata. "Father? What happened?!" Hinata asked as she approached the dog. "This is it for me. Someone came to the residence. He'll kill me any moment now." The voice stated calmly. "I'm sorry that I failed you, Father." Hinata tearfully apologized as she started to cry once more. "Foolish daughter! You're too naïve! You're easier to fool than a dog! This is one of the reasons that you shouldn't become like your father. Your father who lost his track, and took you, and your mother, for granted." The voice exclaimed as he tried to scold and comfort Hinata. "First! I know you're there and you're listening. Listen to my advice. Don't trust the people around you too much, especially the ones who always treat you nicely. Am I right, Fourt-"

**BANG!**

A loud gunshot coming from the collar's speaker surprised us. That person, was Hinata's father. He was the original tenth, right? Why would Kurusu kill him? I thought he wasn't looking to participate in the game, but he's trying to stop it? Tsh. I have to keep my guard up. I can't let anything happen to Yuno. I have to make sure that she survives this survival game.


	9. Chapter 9 - Vows

Almost two weeks has passed ever since the Sarukami Central Park incident. Hinata was able to return to her normal life while Mao is slowly recovering from Yuno's attack during that night. Akise and Kousaka visited me twice during the past week. To my surprise, Yuno didn't react to this and acted as a typical girlfriend should. Instead going full crazy about these guys, she simply texted me and asked if we could spend some time soon. I didn't actually think that she would actually obey those words that I said during that night.

_Since you're my girlfriend, and not to mention, my future wife, please act accordingly. You have to treat my friends, as your own friends._

It might be silly that I actually said those words, but things turned out better than I expected. Not to mention, I'm able to keep Yuno in check thanks to those words. I'm really happy that things are looking great for us.

I gave out a loud yawn as I lounged at my sofa. I gazed at the wall clock as I tried my best to fight my drowsiness. It was only quarter to 8 in the morning. I woke up around 6am earlier, and to my sheer boredom, decided to clean the whole unit. Now that my whole unit is all neat and clean, I was able to satisfy my boredom. I feel a bit sticky thanks to my sweat. Not to mention, I stink. I better take a shower.

As I took off my sweaty clothes, my scars got my attention. It's hard to believe that it's been 2 years since I chose to fight back, and become the master of my own fate. Those books weren't joking when they say "Freedom comes with a price." Anyway, I should be more proud of these scars that I got. These 11 scars came from 11 different contracts. Though, if I was given a choice back then, I wouldn't even take this road. I would be a wimpy guy if I didn't. That would be pathetic. Wait. This isn't the time to be nostalgic.

After a warm and refreshing shower, I sat down in front of the fan to cool myself down. I noticed my phone's message indicator was blinking. It looks like I received a message. It must be from Yuno. After drying my hair up, I then grabbed my phone. To my surprise, it wasn't Yuno who messaged me, but it was Akise.

_Good morning, Toshiro-kun. I would like to discuss something urgent. Please go to the Sarukami 3__rd__ district bus stop at 10:30am. I will be waiting for you._

Huh? Something urgent? Did the young detective managed to pick something up? Well, I do remember asking him to research on the remaining diary owners that we yet to encounter. Maybe he got some data he could share. I also want to know how he was able to research about me. I'm pretty sure that Mist keeps my record clean ever since I started my normal life. Don't tell me he got sloppy and let someone like Akise see my records. Anyway, I'm free for today. I'll give it a go.

I arrived a bit too early at the bus stop. As I sat down by the bench, I grabbed my phone from my pocket and opened it. I look pretty normal with my street clothes. I was wearing my blue long sleeves shirt, black slim fit jeans, and my old, blue sneakers. It's already 10:20am. At this time, he should be here already. I have hunch feeling that he'll be late, or he'll pop out from nowhere like the first time I met him. I do wonder why he wants to meet up here. Of all the places that is possible, why here? I stared blankly at my phone's black screen. As I was busy in thinking the possible reasons why he would want to meet up here, I didn't notice the sound of footsteps that was approaching me.

_Toshii._

That voice. I quickly looked up. Yuno stood in front of me with a smile on her face. She was wearing a purple dress and was carrying her green bag on her left shoulder. "Yuno? What a coincidence. What are you doing here?" I asked her as I placed my phone down. Wait. Did her diary pick something about me and Akise meeting up? The moment I asked her, a bus stopped behind me. "We'll miss the bus if we don't hurry, Toshii." She replied as she took my hand and dragged me towards the bus. "Wait. Wait. I'm waiting for Akise." I stated as I tried to stop her from dragging me. "If it's the email from Akise, I got one too. So let's hurry." She stated as dragged me inside the bus. "Huh? An email? Where's Akise?" I asked her with a confused look on my face. In her reply, she takes out her phone and shows Akise's email to her.

_Hello, Gasai-san. _

_Did you know that next Sunday, there'll be an event where you can experience a wedding for free? Apparently, Toshiro-kun wants to invite you, but he seems to be too shy to ask you out, so allow me to inform you. He'll be waiting for you at the third district bus stop at 10:30. See you._

Wait. Wait. Wait a freaking second. Akise set us up in a date?! I know Yuno's my girlfriend and all, but I haven't even thought about bringing her out thanks to this survival game! I don't want to do! I don't have any information about dates and such! As I began to panic thanks to Akise's scheme, the bus' doors closed, leaving me with no choice but to go along with this "Bridal Experience" event. We sat down at the middle row seats of the bus. "For a second, I really thought you didn't want to go out in a date with me, Toshii." Yuno said as she pulls out a packed sandwich from her bag. The aroma attracted my full attention. I remembered that I only had a slice of bread and milk for my breakfast earlier. "No. I really want to go out on a date with you, and since we're here, might as well give it a shot." I stated with a smile on my face.

_Say aah!_

Yuno then brings her packed sandwich to my face. My stomach growled for nutrients. I quickly took a big bite out of it. "Hm? Are you that hungry, Toshii?" Yuno asked with a giggle. "Shut it." I replied with a flustered face. After a few bites, I managed to finish Yuno's packed sandwich. I still feel famished though. I tried my best to peek inside Yuno's bag for more. Unluckily, she noticed me and she started to laugh. "Uh. Is there anything wrong?" I asked her with a frantic tone in my voice. This is embarrassing. I bet I look like a hungry kid looking for snacks. "No, no. I never knew you had a cute side in you, Toshii." She replied as she kissed my cheek. With that kiss on my cheek, my hunger was suddenly satiated. I stopped messing around and sat still on my seat while Yuno continued to giggle.

We finally arrived at our destination, which was a nearby cathedral at the edge of the city. As Yuno cheerfully looked around the vicinity, I caught a glimpse of the sign of the event. Bridal Fair. Hm. How did Akise picked something up about this? Wait. Is he single or what? If so, I really find it creepy for a guy like him looking at these kinds of events. Maybe, he's just looking out since he's my friend. Oh well. I shouldn't think too much about that.

As we entered the cathedral with our fellow couples, the luxurious design of the lobby caught my attention. Is this really a cathedral? Why would a cathedral have this extravagant design for its lobby? I thought it was supposed to be holy. "It's like we're in a dream!" Yuno merrily commented as she happily looked around. As she happily went in circles, I simply stood back and watched her. I can't help to have a smile on face while seeing her that happy. I just can't help but to marvel at her beauty.

As I noticed that our fellow couples are pretty older than us, I started to think that we don't fit in our current scenario. Ugh. Do I really have to say it? The other couples might think that we're taking it too fast since we're practically teenagers attending a bridal rehearsal. Putting my thoughts aside, I approached Yuno. "Uh. Yuno. I think we should go somewhere else. I don't think we fit here." I calmly stated as I tried to be gentle with my words.

_That's not true._

We shift our attention to our side. The guide lady stood there a few meters away from us. "The only prerequisite for being here is to be a couple planning on getting married. So, I welcome you, young couple." The guide lady explained as she gave us smile. With her explanation, I can't help but to panic. I know I like Yuno, but I'm not prepared to exchange vows with her! This is happening too fast! Wait. This is a mock wedding! Damn it, Toshiro. Keep your wits together! "Thank you!" Yuno happily replied. As I stared at our guide lady, I can't help but to look on her name tag.

_KURUSU, NAOKO_

Hm? Is she related to Kurusu? She looks a bit young to be his wife. Are they siblings or cousins by chance? "Toshii! You'll like this! We get to try the meal!" Yuno stated as she tugged my sleeves and pointed towards the reception area. As she happily went ahead towards the reception, I gave our guide lady a smile and followed her.

The reception area is pretty huge. It still has the lavish design like we saw in the lobby. There were enough long tables to serve all of us couples. I sat down beside Yuno, who was staring happily in our set meal. A lavish and extravagant meal was set in front of us. From the looks of it, I could say it's really expensive. Though it might look good, could it match with Yuno's cooking? "Let's enjoy it, Toshii!" Yuno stated as she started to eat her set meal. I tried the foie gras first. I can't help but to savor the moment as I ate the steak. The taste is top notch, and the quality is pretty good! It's actually better than Yuno's cooking!

"It's delicious!" Yuno merrily stated as she swallowed her first bite. "It's actually my first time to eat such high class food. It's pretty awesome!" I happily commented as our guide lady gave us a smile. As the two of us kept on eating our delicious set meal, a butler passed through our table. He then filled our wine glasses with orange juice. "Hm? I was expecting that they would give us wine. Well, we're still underage." I commented as I took a sip of the orange juice.

"We're like a prince and princess, Toshii." Yuno commented. "Yeah, but I'm more of a princess since you always save me." I exclaimed as I continued eating my meal. Yuno can't help but to laugh at my statement. "Oy. You'll spook the other couples. Simmer down!" I said as I fed her a mouthful piece of caviar. She stopped laughing and started to chew the caviar. "I do want you to be my only prince." Yuno mumbled as she swallowed the caviar. Damn it. I couldn't think of any comebacks. As I noticed my cheeks turning red, I quickly looked away as Yuno softly giggled at my flustered face.

After eating our meals, we then followed our guide lady towards the fitting room. Inside, we were greeted an old lady wearing a yukata. "What are these little brats?" The old lady asked as she stared at us. Oh, the irony. "Um. I heard I can try on a dress here." Yuno politely replied. "Don't joke with me. We don't have any dresses for you to wear. Go home!" The old lady replied as she started to measure Yuno's body. Is she trying to be sarcastic or what? As I watched the old lady measure Yuno's body with her tape measure, our guide lady approached me. "Please follow me, groom." She said as she pointed towards the male section of the fitting room. "Uh. Sure thing." I said as I followed her.

The male section has some varieties of coats and ties. I looked around at the racks as I tried to look for a coat that will spark my attention. "Please help yourself!" The guide lady stated as she stood by the entryway. "Will do, madam." I replied as I continued to look for a coat. Hm. I wonder what is my taste about formal clothing is. I haven't worn something like these before. All I could see are tuxedos, coats, ties, and flamboyant suits. Will a slim, black coat suit me? Nah. Too much black. I think a white suit will do just fine. I do wonder what will Yuno's dress look like. I really wanted to match the color of her dress. Too bad I didn't asked the old lady before going here.

_Having fun are we, landlord. Heh. I'll let you have your little fun for now. Just don't forget, that you could end up like one of those corpses that you saw back then. Try not to get too comfortable, will you?_

I quickly changed into mock wedding attire. I ended up with a white long sleeve with a gray vest, a white suit with tail coats, white slacks, a pair of white leather shoes, and a blue carvat which covered my neck. As I stared at mirror to check myself out, I can't help to notice that I actually looked decent for once. It's like my scars doesn't give out any unpleasant aura at the moment. "You have great taste in your attire." The guide lady commented as she approached me. "Uh. I saw this theme once when I was reading a book." I replied with a carefree smile on my face. "Really? What book?" She asked me. "Uh. A fictional book?" I nervously reply as I gave out a fake laugh. I can't tell her that I chose this theme due to the fact that _Jotaro Kujo's_ clothing theme during _Diamonds are Unbreakable_ were all white. That would be embarrassing.

After our awkward conversation, the guide lady escorted me back to the reception area of the fitting room. A marvelous sight welcomed me as Yuno went out of the women's area. She was wearing a white wedding dress with ruffles, white arm garments, and a long white veil. Though the dress is a bit simple for liking, it really gave emphasis on Yuno's beauty. I can't help but to blush as I stared at her. "Do I look strange, Toshii?" Yuno nervously asked. I am lost for words. How can I say that she's the brightest star that I have ever seen at the night sky? How can I say that she's the most beautiful girl that I ever laid my eyes on?

"You're so beautiful that I can clearly say that I'm the luckiest man alive." I replied as I approached her. With my reply, Yuno's face lit up. "Thank you. You look nice too, Toshii." She replied as she tried to cover her blushing face. I simply nodded back as I tried my best to keep my cool. Is it just me or I can't stop myself from smiling. "Excuse me, sir, and madam. It's your turn for your picture." The guide lady said as she points at the vacant photo booth.

Yuno sat down on the chair while I stood behind her. I placed my hands firmly on her slender shoulders. "Oh! You guys already look like a married couple!" The cameraman commented. Well, I'm doing my best to make us look like one at the moment. I want to cherish this moment. This might be one of the moments that I'm genuinely happy. Within a split second, the flash blinded our eyes. After the cameraman took our picture, Yuno stood patiently by booth as she waited for our picture to be printed, while I sat down on a nearby sofa. As I stared at her smiling face, I can't help but to remember every moment that I shared with her.

_Every. Single. Moment._

I then remembered that night; that night which I saw those corpses at her house. Up until now, I haven't asked her about that. I really don't understand why I can't make myself ask her about that. Is it because I respect her privacy, or I'm just afraid to know the truth? Why would I be afraid of that truth? If I truly love her, I have to accept her for she is. There's something inside of me stopping me from fully committing everything for her. As I stared blankly at the carpeted floor, I didn't notice that Yuno was already standing in front of me with our pictures at her hand.

"Toshii! Look! Look!" Yuno merrily said as she handed me my copy of our mock wedding picture. "Alright, alright." I replied as I tried to put aside my thoughts and took my copy of our picture. As I look at our photo, I can't help but to notice how much we resemble a married couple. As I placed my copy inside the coat's pocket, I noticed that there were tears in Yuno's eyes. "Hey. Is there something wrong?" I asked her I knelt in front of her and caressed her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Toshii. It's just that I'm so happy." She replied as she wiped off her tears of happiness and then gave me a kiss on my cheek. I felt my whole body is on fire. It's like my chest will burst into flames at any moment now.

Am I really that in love with her? Why is there something inside of me stopping me from falling in love with her? Is it because she's my stalker? Is it because she's probably insane? Is it because I saw those corpses at her home? Or, is it because I'm afraid to be betrayed once again?

"Sorry to interrupt. We'll now move to the main event, which is the chapel wedding." Our guide lady stated as she points towards the chapel's doors. Are we really doing it? I think my body is still shaking thanks to my nervousness. "We're going to even do that?" I asked her nervously. "It's okay, Toshii. You don't have to force yourself. I've already enjoyed myself enough today. I've had plenty of fun." Yuno stated as she tried her best to smile at me. A sudden feeling of guilt filled my chest.

_She's wrong. I'm didn't forced myself to go along these things. I do enjoy doing these kinds of things with you. Probably, it's because I get to spend my time with you, Yuno. Damn it. Now I can really say that I'm falling in love with you._

"No. We're doing it." I stated as I looked at Yuno and gave her a warm smile. "Are you sure?" Yuno nervously asked. "Well, we made it this far. Might as well do all of it." I replied as I took her by her hand and brought her towards the chapel's doors. As she readied herself to walk the aisle, I approached our guide lady. "Madam, is there any chance that you could provide us rings? I know I'm asking too much since it's only a mock wedding and all." I asked her as I tried my best not to let Yuno hear my words. "Well, we don't normally give out rings, but you two are so cute, that I've decided to give you guys for free. Don't worry sir. I'll bring it to the altar later." She replied as she gave me a smile.

As I stood by the altar, I tried my best to prepare myself for this event. The piano at the background did it's best to set a sacred mood for our mock wedding. I watched Yuno gracefully walked towards the altar with a wedding bouquet. Her wedding veil covered her pretty face. The afternoon sun gleamed over the chapel's stained glasses. As she reaches the altar, we then faced each other in front of the priest. We took our rings mock-wedding rings, which were place on top of a pedestal in between us, and held each other's hands. My blue eyes stared at her pink eyes.

_Bride, Gasai, Yuno. Do you take Nohiru, Toshiro as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?_

"Yes, I do." Yuno replied without any hesitation and proceeded to insert my ring into my ring finger.

_Groom, Nohiru, Toshiro. Do you take Gasai, Yuno as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?_

I bit my lip in hesitation. I took a deep breath and swallowed my saliva.

_If I didn't found out about those corpses, is it okay for me to give everything to her? Is it okay for me to fall in love with her?_

"Yes, I do." I replied as I proceeded to insert her ring into her ring finger.

_With those vows and rings in your fingers, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Groom, you may now kiss the bride._

With those words from the priest, I then lifted Yuno's veil. She closed her eyes and pouted her lips. I smiled and leaned in closer. As we our lips locked on to each other, the priest gave us applause. "You guys really do have a future as a married couple. Do take it slow, and cherish your young lives, alright?" He commented as he gave me a pat on the back. "Uh. Yeah. We will, sir." I replied as I stared at Yuno with a smile on my face.

After our mock-wedding, we sat down in one of the sofas at the reception area, as we waited for the bus to pick us up. I'm really exhausted. I never knew that something like that could actually drain me. I have to give my props to Akise though. "Did you have fun?" I asked Yuno as she rested her head on top of my shoulder. She didn't reply. To my surprise, she actually fell asleep. "I take that as a yes." I stated as I smiled and lightly nuzzled her hair.

_You guys had a long day?_

I shifted my attention in front of us. Our guide lady stood in front of us with a smile on her face. "Thank you for accommodating us today, madam." I stated as I bowed my head to show my respect. "It's nice to be young. My husband and I used to be like you, but he now rarely comes home from work, so we hardly see each other." Our guide lady exclaimed as she places her hands on her hips. Husband? No, it can't be. A beautiful woman like her can't be Kurusu's wife. "Er. Is your husband by chance, is.." "He's a detective at the Sakurami Police Station." She replied. Wow. Props to you, Chief Kurusu, for wedding a beautiful woman like your wife.

It was already night time when we reached the Gasai Residence. I carried the sleeping Yuno on my back after our bus ride. "Hey. Yuno. We're back at your place." I said as I tried to give her a gentle shake. Tsh. No reaction. I gave out a sigh and tried to open the main door. To my surprise, it wasn't locked and the door opens without any restraints. Did Yuno forget to close the main door earlier? It's still dark like last time. As I carried the sleeping Yuno towards the foyer, I then noticed an electric switch at the side of the entrance hall. I pushed one of the switches open. To my surprise, there's still no lights that went on.

_The electricity is still off._

That voice! I stared blankly at the darkness. A white haired boy came out from the darkness. Akise? What is he doing here? "Good evening, Toshiro-kun. Did you enjoy your wedding?" He asked as he continued to walk towards us. "It was okay and all, but what are you doing here?" I asked as I watched him approach us. The sudden realization that he might snooping around inside Yuno's home surprised me. "Wait. Did you.." "Yes. While you two were having fun, I was enjoying an adventure here." He replied. I noticed that door was slightly opened. "Oy. Did you open that door?" I asked him with a nervous tone in my voice. Why would he take advantage while me and Yuno were having fun? I could feel a sudden burst of annoyance coming from my chest.

"What's wrong, Toshii?" Yuno whispered as she opened her eyes. Tsh. This is a bad time for you to wake up. I glared intently at Akise as he approached that door. "This room is crazy, Toshiro-kun." He stated as he placed his hand at door's handle. "Why did you open that door?! There's-" "Yes. I thought I'd find some bodies here, but…" Akise stated as he slides the door open. As Akise opened the door, the smell of nature entered my nose. To my surprise, the sliding doors on the other side of the room were torn down. A huge hole that wasn't here before shocked me.

I placed Yuno down as I approached the huge hole with Akise. "What the hell is this? This wasn't here when I visited her last time." I stated as I stared at hole. It's deep enough that I couldn't see the end of it. "How did one person dig this? It's so deep, I can't see the bottom." Akise stated as he did the same. No way. Yuno did this? What the hell is happening? "Yuno! What happened to the corpses that I saw?" I asked Yuno as she approached us. "Corpses?" Yuno replied as stared blankly at the hole. "Yeah. Remember? The last time I came here.." "The last time?" Yuno asked once more as she tries her best to remember something. What's wrong with her? Did she hit her head or something? There's no way she could have forgotten that! She even followed me back to my unit!

_The bugs are going to come in. Let's go the living room. Make yourselves at home. After all, it's your first time coming to my place._

What the hell did she just say? This isn't my first time to visit her place. I swear I wasn't dreaming when I saw those bodies. My hands started to shake. No, this can't be. I shouldn't think like this. Yuno is not that deranged. She's not that too far gone. I'm the one who's probably insane. Damn it, Toshiro. Calm down!

"Oh my. It's pretty late, Gasai-san. I think me and Toshiro-kun should get going now." Akise stated as grabbed me by the wrist and led me back to the foyer. "Oh? Are you leaving already, Toshii?" Yuno asked with a disappointed tone on her voice as she followed us back to the foyer. "I think I should visit some other time." I frantically replied as I tried to collect my thoughts. "Alright, Toshii. I really had fun today!" Yuno stated as she closed the door and led us towards the entrance hall. "Yeah. Me too." I murmured as my whole body started to quiver in confusion.

"We'll be going now, Gasai-san. Take care." Akise stated as he went out of the Gasai Residence. "See you, Yuno." I stated as I followed Akise. I couldn't even look at her. Why am I so shaken? Before I could leave the house, Yuno suddenly grabbed my wrist. To my surprise, she suddenly landed a kiss on my cheek again. "Till next time, Toshii." Yuno sweetly stated as she gave me a pat on the back. "Uh. Sure." I replied as I tried to respond normally to her. As I step out of the Gasai Residence, I then saw Akise waiting for me by the entrance gate. "My, my. Aren't you guys sweet." He jokingly stated as we started to walk towards the direction of my condominium. "Shut it." I replied as I did my best to shake off my confusion.

"Don't worry, Toshiro-kun. She probably overwrote her memory." Akise stated as we continued walking in the dark street. "Overwrote her memory? What are you talking about? Are you sure that I'm not insane and actually saw those bodies back then?" I nervously asked him. "Her mental state is so fragile that she was forced to. Toshiro-kun, believe me. I thought it was in her best interest to bring everything out into the light." Akise stated as he stopped on his tracks.

"I was wrong. Gasai-san is too dangerous without you." Akise stated as he gave me a glare of his own. I'm not sure if I should find that re-affirming that Yuno needs me, or scary since she couldn't go on without me. What would happen if I were to sacrifice myself for her to win the game? Can she handle it? Can she keep on moving forward? I then bring out our mock-wedding picture from my pocket. I stared blankly at it as I slowly realize my responsibility. I have to be Yuno's mental and emotional support. I have to keep her calm and focused.

_If I truly love her, this is the best thing I could do for her._

I bid goodbye to Akise as we parted ways. It looks like my main goal got altered. I have to ensure that me and Yuno will survive this game, and in the same time, I have to make sure she'll sustain her sanity. Tsh. Well, isn't that quite heavy for me to bear. We'll manage, somehow. As I continued walking along the sidewalk, I noticed that were some men who were standing by the entrance of the condominium. What is this about? They look like detectives. They slowly approached me as I reached the entrance. "May I help you, gentlemen?" I asked as a sudden feeling of uneasiness entered my mind. So far, I haven't heard any static from my diary, so I can't say what would happen to me.

One of them approached me. "Nohiru-san, right? I'm pretty sure you've seen me before. I'm Nishijima, Masumi. I'm Chief Kurusu's assistant." The brown-haired man as he reached out his hand towards me. "Oh. Fancy seeing you here." I replied as I gave him a firm handshake. "Well, you see, Chief Kurusu wants you to go to the station right now. It's pretty urgent." He stated as he took a step back. "Well, isn't a bit late for that? Couldn't we do a meeting tomorrow? I'm pretty exhausted from my date." I replied as I tried to walk through them. Tsh. No good. The men blocked my way. "I'm sorry, Nohiru-san, but you have to go." Nishijima replied.

**CLICK!**

Huh? What was that sound? As I turned around towards Nishijima, I noticed that I couldn't move my hands. My eyes widen as I realized that they already cuffed me with a handcuff. "Chief Kurusu's orders." Nishijima stated as the other men grabbed me. "Wait. Wait! What are you doing?! What's the meaning of this! Oy! Nishijima-san!" I shouted as the men dragged me towards the black sedan.


	10. Chapter 10 - Fourth's Betrayal

Though I struggled, I wasn't able to escape from my captors. Why would Kurusu force me to go to the station at this hour? Is that matter really urgent? I mean, he could till tomorrow, right? Not to mention, I can't put aside the fact that he killed Tenth behind our backs. Is he finally on offensive? Are we still safe? He's still part of the alliance that we made before, right?

Uneasiness and anxiety swelled inside my chest as I sat in front of the interrogation. I stared intently at the floor as I was absorbed by my own thoughts. This is bad. If Kurusu decides to betray us here, I'm not sure if I could fight back. The station is swarming with cops and detectives. Hell, I almost died when I fought against 5 SAT members. Tsh. If shit hits the fan, I can't protect myself without a weapon. I can't protect-

_I'll protect you, Toshii. We're totally at disadvantage here. _

I shifted my attention to my side. Yuno was also brought here earlier. I'm pretty sure she realized how dangerous our situation is. Right now, she's looking around our vicinity for anything we could use. I focused on her blank pink eyes. As expected, she's in her trance. She's always like that whenever she's thinking about doing the easy way out; which is to simply kill all these people.

_I can't allow that. I have to become her self-control._

"Hey. Calm down, Yuno. I'm pretty sure Chief will just ask something, or brief us on our next task." I stated as I grabbed on to Yuno's left hand and held it firmly. As I held her hand, she shifted her attention to me. After staring at me blankly for a while, she then sat down beside me. "We'll be okay. I promise." I whispered to her as I gently patted her head. Slowly, her eyes returned to normal. "I have a bad feeling about this, Toshii." Yuno whispered as she held me hand tightly. "I'll protect you too. I'll protect you no matter what happens." I replied as I tried my best to give her some reassurance.

"Nohiru-san. Chief Kurusu will talk to you now." Nishijima stated as he opens the interrogation room's door. I still couldn't shake off this feeling of uneasiness inside of me. If Kurusu does something while he's interrogating me, I probably couldn't use my diary. I will be defenceless against him and the whole station. "Yuno. Hold on to my diary for a while." I whispered to Yuno as I bring out my phone. "Hm? Why? What's wrong?" She asked as she takes my phone from my hand, and placed it inside her pocket. "If things turn out for the worst, you know what to do." I stated as I took a deep breath and stood up. Before I entered the room, I turned around and tried to give Yuno a smile. I can't let her see that I'm actually shaking.

The interrogation room is fairly small. As I entered the room, I noticed Kurusu sitting on a chair at the middle of the room. He was busy polishing and cleaning his revolver. "Hey. Good evening." I said as I tried to get his attention. "Have a seat, Toshiro." Kurusu stated as he kept on polishing his firearm. "Uh. What's this all about? Is something wrong?" I asked as I sat down in front of him. "When the Tenth, Karyuudo, Tsukishima, was killed by someone, we got a tip saying that you and Gasai were spotted nearby." He stated without shifting his gaze on me. Huh? Something is terribly off. What is he talking about? He was the one who killed Tenth. Why is he asking me about that?

"We were at the park during that time. We had a tangle with his daughter, Hino, Hinata. She tried to kill us with Tenth's dogs." I replied calmly. "As expected. That means the tip was total bullshit. Thanks for clearing that up." Kurusu stated as he brings out his phone and showed a blank entry with a smile on his face.

Nohiru, Toshiro

_No investigation information…_

"Is that all? Man, you sure know how to make me nervous." I stated as I gave out a sigh of relief. "I do have my reasons, you know. You're free to go." Kurusu stated. Phew. That's all? As the uneasiness inside of me slowly disappeared, I then noticed Kurusu placing a single bullet inside his revolver. "Toshiro. Do you want to play a little game?" He asked as he gave the revolver's cylinder a spin. "Game? What game?" I asked as him as my uneasiness slowly crept back. "A game of RUSSIAN ROULETTE." He replied as he cocks back the revolver's hammer, thus priming his firearm. "Hu-"

**CLICK!**

Is he really serious?! Why does he want to do this?! "Kurusu. Are you alright? Why are we playing this game?" I frantically asked him as I tried my best to stop my body from shaking. "Stop freaking out, Toshiro. We have our Future Diaries, right?" Kurusu replied as primes his firearm and points the barrel on his head.

**CLICK!**

"Are you serious? Are you trying to kill me?! That would make you a criminal! Your diary will be useless!" I frantically stated as I tried my best to reason with Kurusu. "Heh. Yes, killing Nohiru, Toshiro would be a crime. I do remember that you share a very uncanny resemblance to that underground criminal before. Am I right, Thanatos?" Kurusu stated as he glared at me intently. My whole body froze after hearing that statement. How the hell did manage to get a picture of me before?! I swear Mist deleted every single file that I had before! How the hell did he manage to get something like that?! As I was frantically shaking in front of him, he then primes his firearm once again, and aimed the revolver at me.

**CLICK!**

"So, are you saying that you're Thanatos? Hmm?" Kurusu asked with a chuckle. What should I do?! Without my diary, I'm practically dead meat! I have to think of a plan. I have to get out of this mess! "No. I'm not sure what you're talking about." I replied as my eyes avoided his glare. "Oh? I swear you really look like him. Those sharp eyes of yours really look like his. Not to mention, you have the same facial scars." He stated as he primes his firearm and points it at his head. Wait. That's the fourth chamber. Judging from his revolver's model, I can say that it only has 5 chambers. If that's chamber is empty, I'm-

**CLICK!**

My eyes widen as I heard the revolver firing an empty chamber. "You're shaking, Toshiro. Aren't you the so called messenger of death? Why are you scared of dying?" Kurusu asked with a serious tone in his voice. Damn it all! "I thought we had an alliance! I thought you were against the survival game!" I angrily shouted at him as I quickly stood up and angrily hit the table in between us with my right hand. "I'm nullifying that. I've chosen to become God." He replied as points his revolver at me.

_What a pinch you got yourself into, landlord. Seriously, you're a big idiot. Why would you trust a detective when you're a fugitive?_

I could feel my cold sweat dripping from my face. Can I dodge the bullet?! At this point blank range, that bullet would hurt like hell. Damn it, Toshiro! Think! Use your bloody head! My eyes widen as I realized that I was holding the table's edge. Kurusu's arm is above the table. I could use this! Before Kurusu could even pull the trigger, I quickly flipped the table, which caught him by surprise. "Tsh! It's useless!" Kurusu stated as he quickly recovered. Oh shit. I'm wide open. Here goes nothi-

_Get down, Toshii!_

In that instant, Yuno quickly barged inside the room with a revolver in her hand. She quickly shot the revolver from Kurusu's hand, which disarmed him. She then aimed at his head, and continued to fire her remaining rounds. A bullet grazed through Kurusu's left ear, which made him fall down in pain. As the revolver ran out of bullets, Yuno then cast it aside and brings out a new one from her pocket. She then proceeded to shoot at Kurusu's chest. Kurusu isn't moving. He's done for. "Yuno. Stop. Don't waste anymore bullets." I stated as I grabbed on to the revolver that Yuno was holding.

_Chief!_

As Nishijima enters the room while painfully clutching on to his head, Yuno quickly turned around and aimed at him. "I said stop!" I shouted as I quickly grabbed on to her wrist. Yuno didn't give out any response and blankly stared at me. Shit. She's in her trance. "Yuno! Please calm down! Please, be like you normally are!" I shouted as I tried to shield Nishijima from Yuno's aim. Slowly, her eyes reverted back to normal. "Are you alright, Toshii? I'm here now, so everything will be okay!" Yuno stated as she smiled at me.

_What were those gunshots! It came from the interrogation room!_

With her reverting back to normal, I quickly snatched the revolver from her hands. Tsh. We have no choice. I turned around and pointed the barrel at Nishijima's chest. "Nohiru-san! What are you doing!? Sto-" "Isn't it obvious? You're our hostage. If you keep your mouth shut, I'll let you live." I stated as I stared at him coldly. I then gave him a nudge to start walking with the revolver. He gave me an angry snarl and proceeded obey my instructions. As we sprinted towards the nearest fire exit, I realized what Kurusu was planning earlier.

With those shots, he managed to make Yuno a criminal. He doesn't need to trick me, since I still bear my previous crimes. With that, he could use his diary against us, which will not happen since Yuno shot him dead. We're fugitives now. We can't go back to our homes. Within that instant, Kurusu, Keigo took what remained from our normal lives away.

"Nohiru-san! Do you understand what you two are doing?!" Nishijima frantically asked me as I forced him to run towards the fire exit. "Tsh. Shut it." I replied with an annoyed tone in my voice. Damn it. The cops are right behind us. As Nishijima opens the fire-exit's door, I quickly pushed the two of them in and aimed at our pursuers. With three shots, I managed to disable the three cops who were chasing us as my bullets pierced through their knee caps.

We sprinted upwards as Yuno kept Nishijima in check by aiming her revolver at his back. As we reached the 3rd floor, a lone cop opened the fire-exit door and aimed at us with his revolver. "Stop! Stop or I'll shoot!" He ordered as the three of us stopped in our tracks. "Yuno. Keep that revolver aimed at our hostage. I'll deal with this." I whispered to Yuno as I slowly turned around with my hands in the air. I could see the cop is shaking. I bet he didn't expect a pair of 8th graders to wreak havoc inside the station.

_Ah. This feeling is so nostalgic, right, landlord? Doesn't it remind you of our previous contracts? Don't you dare to act innocent, landlord. Accept it. You find pleasure in killing people! Now! Throw your dreams for a normal life and accept your insanity!_

_Shut it, Shaco._

**BANG!**

With one swift motion, I shot the lone cop dead as my bullet pierced through his skull. His bloody fell flat on the floor as the blood seeped out from the entry point of the bullet. "How could you, Nohiru-san?!" Nishijima frantically asked with fear in his voice. "Do I have any choice?" I coldly replied as I turned my back and continued to walk upwards the stairs. "Wow! I didn't know that you were skilled with a gun, Toshii!" Yuno cheerfully stated with awe in her eyes. I noticed that she was holding on to my phone. "It's nothing that I could be proud of, Yuno, but I'm better at using guns than using knives. Now then, let's go." I replied as I took my phone from her hand. I bet my diary was going crazy with statics earlier. Before I could check my diary for any entries, an announcement from the PA systems startled us.

_To all officers, do not let Nohiru, Toshiro and Gasai, Yuno off the premises. Do whatever it takes to arrest the suspects. If they resist, deadly force is authorized!_

That voice! It can't be! Yuno shot him dead! No. Wait. There wasn't any blood when Yuno shot his chest. Was he wearing a Kevlar vest?! Tsh. Now we have to deal with entire station. Damn you, Kurusu! With that, I quickly opened my phone and checked my diary.

**June 12 21:54 [Sakurami Police Station]**

_Nohiru, Toshiro_

He fought off the cops and died due to blood lost.

He tried to buy Second some time, but he succumbs to his wounds.

He ran out of ammo and was killed by Fourth.

**DEAD END**

**June 12 21:54 [Sakurami Police Station]**

_Gasai, Yuno_

She tried to save First, but was shot down.

She went back to rescue First, and was killed by the cops.

She tried to aid First, but was killed by a barrage of bullets.

**DEAD END**

Damn it! Our flags are up! Not to mention, all of our deaths will come from bullet wounds. The only thing we could do is to make a run for it, but if we do, we'll end up in scenario 2! If we try to fend them off, we'll be in scenario 3! Tsh! What should we do?! I can't decide! We're basically trapped in here!

As I was frantically thinking for a plan, I didn't notice that another cop managed to catch up to us. As he fired two shots at us, I saw a bullet grazed through Yuno's right arm. In that instant, my whole body burned in anger as Yuno tried to shrug off the pain. "How dare you!" I shouted as I holstered my firearm, and charged towards the cop. As I swiftly evaded his shots, I quickly landed a swift punch on his solar plexus region, which made him kneel down in pain. "Damn you.." The cop mumbled as he tried to aim his revolver at me. In reply, I landed a devastating right uppercut on his throat, which killed him. "Yuno! Are you okay?!" I frantically asked Yuno as I rushed towards her. "Don't mind me, Toshii. We have to keep going!" Yuno replied as she continued to force Nishijima to run upwards.

We finally reached the roof deck level. As Yuno sprinted towards the edge of the building, I went around the level, looking for an emergency fire staircase that we could use to escape. To my utter surprise, there wasn't anything like that on the roof deck. What the hell? We can't simply jump off from a 4 storey building and live! Why did Yuno lead us here? We could have pushed the cops back and made our way to the entrance! Don't tell me she already gave up and decided to die here! I'm not letting that happen! "Yuno! What are we doing here?! This is a death trap!" I frantically asked Yuno as I approached her. "Calm down, Toshii! Come here!" Yuno replied as she took my hand and brought me closer to the edge of the building.

Her pink eyes look so peaceful. Has she accepted our faith? Is this how it ends? Will die like this? Am I that powerless to save Yuno?

I clenched my fists as despair clouded my thoughts. I'm trying my best to control my emotions, but my tears started to come out from my eyes. "I have to thank you, Toshii." Yuno whispered as she held my trembling fists. "Huh? Why are you thanking me? I brought us to this scenario. It's my fault. I trusted the wrong person." I replied as I struggled to stop my tears from flowing. "No. No. Don't blame yourself for that. I am thanking you, since you made me the happiest woman today." Yuno stated as her hands wiped away my tears.

_Yeah. Today. Even though it was a mock-wedding, the bond between us two can never be broken. These rings that we are wearing are a sign of our devotion to each other. Truth to be told that was the happiest memory I have in my short and sad life. _

"I just wish we could have another date like that. It looks like that would be our last." I sadly stated as I held one of her hands. I could hear the cops closing in. "Gasai-san! Nohiru-san! Please! Stop! Just surrender!" Nishijima begged us as he knelt down by the door of the fire-exit. Heh. We'll still die even if we surrender. So, why bother?

Our eyes are fixated at one another. I held on to Yuno's slender hips and drew her closer. This is it then. This is our last moment. As our eyes closed, our lips locked with one another. I could feel her trembling. Of course she would tremble at a time like this. This is the last time we could hold each other like this.

_Sorry, Yuno. I'm so sorry that we have to die like this…_

_Die.._

_Death by gunshot.._

_Wait._

I quickly opened my right eye. At the edge of my peripheral vision, I could see a truck directly below us. If what I'm seeing is true, it has cloth-like roofing on its back. I know this is a big gamble, but this is the only thing we could do now. If we jump here, will we evade our death flags? Tsh. This isn't the time to hesitate about that. It's our only chance to survive! Here goes nothing! I quickly hugged Yuno tightly and jumped off the edge. By her shocked expression, she didn't expect for me to do this. I merely smiled at her and pushed her head down on to my chest. If this fails, at least my body could cushion the fall for her. I closed my eyes in anticipation of our fate.

_**BZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

**CRACK!**

Even though there's cloth-like roofing on top of the truck, that didn't really soften the impact a lot. I could feel an intense pain swelling up on my right shoulder. Tsh. I think I broke my right shoulder. Damn it. At least we managed to escape that death trap, but god. It hurts so badly. It feels like my shoulder got hammered by something heavy. Damn it all. I have to shrug this off till we could fully escape our scenario.

"Toshi!" Yuno shouted as she immediately checked my shoulder. "This isn't the time for first aid! We have to go! Now!" I shouted as I grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the station. Before we could the station's premises, the swelling pain on my shoulder intensifies. Tsh. It looks like my body ran out of adrenaline. I can't go on like this. Yuno noticed that I was having a hard time walking and quickly rushed to my side. She then placed her arm around my back. My body immediately leaned on to her for support. "Come on, Toshii! We can't stop now!" Yuno shouted as she gave me a stern look of determination. "Yeah. Thanks." I replied as we continued on running.

We can't back to our homes. The cops would be waiting for us there. We have to find somewhere to hide. We managed to sneak around the city. We carefully passed by the establishments and houses. After some while, we found ourselves near the SARUKAMI GENERAL HOSPITAL. As we sneaked around the hospital's vicinity, I noticed storage shed near the east wing. We could stay there for a while. That's the only thing we could do now.

Yuno easily broke the lock with her revolver, which opened the door. She then laid me down beside some boxes. The shed is quite small, but this will do for our hideout. "Sorry if I'm a bit heavy." I apologized to Yuno as I noticed her panting. "It's no problem. Anything for you, Toshii." She replied as gave me a warm smile. As I was about to look around the shed, my right shoulder suddenly pulsated with pain. I groaned in pain as I grabbed on to my broken shoulder. "Toshii!" Yuno shouted as she rushed to my side. "Hey. Not too loud. Someone might hear us." I painfully whispered as my whole body ached in pain.

"It looks like I'm out of adrenaline." I painfully stated as I tried to give out a chuckle, which I failed. "Don't move, Toshii! I'll look around for any supplies that we could use for first aid!" Yuno ordered as she scanned the shelves. After some minutes of searching, she stumbled on an old first aid kit box. The contents are pretty salvageable. She then grabs a splint, an ointment, and a roll of bandage. "Toshii. I'll take off your top, alright?" She said as she approached me. I can barely speak because of the pain, so I gave her an affirmative nod. After taking my long-sleeves off, she then applied some ointment on the swelled up area of my shoulder. I could feel a burning sensation on my broken shoulder, but it slowly eased the pain. After applying the ointment, she then took the splint, and placed it on my shoulder. Finally, she wrapped the bandage on my broken shoulder.

"Don't move too much. If you can, use your left arm for the time being." Yuno ordered as she placed the remaining supplies back. As she was busy fixing the first aid kit, I noticed her wound on her right arm. "Wait." I said as I checked the first aid kit for any disinfectant. Luckily, there was a bottle of Hydrogen peroxide inside the kit. "Stay still." I ordered her as I opened the bottle and applied it on a ball of cotton. "This might sting a bit, so bear with me." I stated as I gently cleaned Yuno's wound. "Toshii.." She whispered as she gave out soft grunts of pain. After that, I took the tube of antibiotic ointment and applied some on the wound. Finally, I wrapped her wound with the bandage.

"There. Now, we're even." I said as I leaned back on some boxes. "How's your shoulder, Toshii?" Yuno asked as she pushed the kit aside and sat beside me. "The pain eased a bit. I can manage." I said as I rested my head on to hers. The breeze of the wind echoed through the silent night. Our normal lives are gone, eh? "You need antibiotics, Toshii?" Yuno asked as she held my left hand. "Maybe. I'm feeling a bit feverish." I replied as I noticed my rising temperature.

After hearing my reply, Yuno then brings out a pill of antibiotic. She then places the pill on her mouth and suddenly kissed me. To my surprise, she made me swallow the pill with her saliva as she kissed me torridly. "With don't have any water, so you make use of my saliva for the mean time." Yuno stated as she moved away from me. Well, that's resourceful.

After a brief moment for a breather, I then leaned in closer to her. I pushed her down on to the floor and continued our torrid kissing. I sucked on her tongue as she explores my mouth with it. I then nibble on her upper lip as she caressed my body seductively. Yuno suddenly pushed me back, and mounted me. She then proceeded to lick my neck downwards. I gave out soft moans of pleasure as she licked all of my scars on my body. Slowly, all I could feel inside of me is my burning desire for her.

"Toshi.." Yuno softly whispered as I pulled her up towards me and licked her neck. As I was kissing and licking her neck, I gently groped her breasts. I slowly made my way down and proceeded to kiss her breasts through her clothing. She continued to give out soft moans as she hugged my head. To my surprise, I noticed my hands were already underneath her clothing. We had another brief moment for a breather as Yuno pushed me downwards. As she began slowly remove her top, the burning desire inside of me simmered down. I stared at her as the sight of her nearly topless got my attention.

_Her young, yet mature body, her sexy hips, her slender, and long legs, her fairly perky breasts. I want it all._

_Aren't you getting too excited, landlord? Tsh. Sheesh. Can't you wait for July 28?_

I suddenly regained my composure. Before Yuno could even undo her bra, I quickly pushed her head on to my chest. "Toshii? What is it?" Yuno asked as I caught her by surprise. "We're doing it too fast. I'm quite uncomfortable with that." I replied as my desire to do the deed slowly went away. "But, you we're aggressive! You're unfair!" She stated as she made her way upwards. "I'm sorry. It happened so quickly. My desires suddenly got the best of me." I replied as I could feel her breath hitting my neck. "Geez. You're such a tease." She mumbled with a disappointed tone in her voice. "Yuno. We can have a bit of foreplay and all, but isn't July 28 our happy end?" I stated as I played with her long pink hair. "But, still.." She mumbled back. "You have to make sure first that I'll fall in love with you." I jokingly stated as I gave out a chuckle. "I will! I will definitely make sure that you'll fall in love with me!" She proudly replied.

_Heh. You don't need to do that anymore. I'm pretty sure that I'm already deeply in love with you._

As we both calmed down, I noticed that my eyes were getting heavier. "Hm? Are you sleepy, Toshii?" Yuno asked as she looked at me. "Yeah. I think so. I'm pretty tired too." I replied as I struggled to keep my eyes open and my consciousness awake. "Alright. Shall we sleep, then?" She asked as she rested her head on my chest. I could feel her breasts resting on top of my bare chest. Her legs were also locked on to mine. "Please." I replied as I slowly closed my eyes.

_Goodnight, Toshii._

I was awakened by Yuno's breathing, which was hitting my neck. I slowly opened my eyes. My blurry vision adjusted itself as I stared blankly at the ceiling. Soon enough, my vision returned to normal. I looked at the sleeping Yuno's face. She looks so peaceful. I do love waking up to this. As I tried to move Yuno, who was sleeping on top of me, my right shoulder pulsated in pain. Tsh. I have to mend myself first. I gently laid Yuno down on the floor as I slowly sat up. After some stretches, I stood up and looked around for the first aid kit. I quickly found the kit, which was placed on top of a box near us. As I was about to sit beside Yuno, I noticed that she was barely topless. I then took my long-sleeves shirt and placed it on top of my sleeping partner.

After applying the ointment and redoing the bandage, I took out my diary. I remembered that I didn't checked it last night since we were too busy sneaking around and avoiding the cops. I have a bad feeling though. I have a feeling that we'll be facing a difficult scenario later. I have to come up with a plan to counter it.

**June 13 20:30 [Sakurami General Hospital]**

_Nohiru, Toshiro_

He was killed by the SAT for his terrorist acts.

He was shot down by the Fourth.

He was beaten down to death by Fourth.

**DEAD END**

**June 13 20:30 [Sakurami General Hospital]**

_Gasai, Yuno_

She went out to buy supplies, but was cornered by the police and was killed.

She sacrificed herself to save First.

She was killed by First as he tried to save her.

**DEAD END**

Tsh. I could feel my hands shaking after seeing our entries. This is bad. Not to mention, we'll be dealing with the SAT later. I'm not sure I could even hold one off with my current condition. Does it really have to end in one of these scenarios?! Think, Toshiro! Aren't you a fucking tactician?! Don't waste what Mist taught you before! Think, damn it!

_Good morning, Toshii.._

My whole body froze as I felt Yuno wrapping her arms around me. I gave out a surprised groan as Yuno rested her head on my left shoulder. "Hm? Did I surprise you?" Yuno asked as she gave out a soft yawn. "Don't surprise me like that. Geez. I thought I was about to have a heart attack." I replied as I tried to hide my stressed face. Out of nowhere, Yuno's stomach started to growl in hunger. "I'm sorry.." She mumbled as she tried to hide her embarrassed face. "That can't be helped. We didn't have anything to eat since we were taken to the station." I stated as I grabbed my long-sleeves shirt from the floor. "Are you hungry, Toshii? I'll go out to the store and buy something!" She stated merrily as she quickly stood up.

I quickly grabbed her hand. If I let her go out now, she'll be killed. "I'll do it." I stated as I put on folded top. "Are you sure? Don't strain yourself." She stated as she watched me flatten the folds on my clothing. I could sense that she's really worried about my condition. "I'll be fine. A broken shoulder isn't enough to hold me down. You sit tight. I'll be back soon." I replied as nuzzled her hair with a smile.

I reached the nearby convenience store without encountering any problems. I noticed that were few commuters as I walked towards here. Is it too early? I checked my old, silver watch. It's already 08:25am. I'm pretty sure that there should be a lot of commuters at this hour. Not to mention, I didn't encountered any patrols. This is certainly odd. Tsh. I'm getting out of track. I have to do this quickly. I grabbed anything I could; which were sandwiches for our breakfast, some biscuits, and bottle waters for our beverage. This will probably last till the day.

As I reached the counter, I was left dumbfounded as I reached out for my back pocket. My wallet is nowhere to be found in my black jeans. Crap. Did I drop it? I don't remember bringing it out after our date. Should I leave everything? I can come back later, right? If I do, I might encounter the cops later. Tsk. To hell with that. I'm a fugitive right now. Shoplifting this much won't hurt the establishment. As the cashier finished packing the groceries on a plastic bag, I quickly grabbed on to a nearby juice box and slammed it on the counter. Luckily, the juice squirted on his eyes. As I caught him reeling back, I quickly gave grabbed the plastic bag from the counter and dashed towards the door. I ran as fast as I can back to our hideout.

After a few minutes of running, I manage to reach our hideout safely. As I entered the shed, I saw Yuno looking around for anything we could use. "Hey. I'm back." I stated as I attracted her attention. "Oh! Toshii! Welcome back!" Yuno merrily stated as she ran towards me. "I managed to get some sandwiches and some snacks for us. Will these do?" I asked her as I brought one sandwich out. "We can't picky thanks to our situation. Anything will be fine, Toshii!" Yuno replied as she took the sandwich from my hand.

After eating our breakfast, we simply sat inside the shed idly. I stared blankly at the floor as Yuno did the same. I let her look at our entries earlier, which made her fall silent. I'm still trying to come up with a plan that could save us both. Tsh. Is one of us destined to die here? That can't be true. There's no such as destinies or fate. Our lives are full of coincidence and opportunities. We choose our own scenarios as we take those opportunities. I still can't believe that we ended up here. Tsh. Me and my lame decision making. As I stopped staring on the floor and looked around, I noticed that Yuno disappeared from my sight. "Hm? Yuno? Where ar-"

_Don't look!_

At the corner of my eye, I could see Yuno squatting down behind some boxes. I could see a flustered and embarrassed look on her face. What is she doing? Wait. I could smell something stagnant coming from her direction. Not to mention, I could hear something dripping onto the concrete floor. Oh. She's doing that. "I'm sorry, Toshii! We can't go out! I have to do it here!" Yuno shouted in embarrassment. "No. It's okay. Don't worry" I calmly replied as I looked away.

Time quickly flew by. Three more hours, and we'll be facing our scenarios. I stared blankly outside of the window as Yuno sat idly beside me. The orange glow of the setting sun warmed our bodies. What to do. What can I do? What? What is our plan? Suddenly, I noticed a woman walking towards the hospital. To my utter surprise, it was Kurusu's wife. Is she visiting someone?

Wait.

An idea popped in my head. We could use her. We could take her as a hostage and force Kurusu to let us go. Will it work? Like Yuno said earlier, we can't be picky. We have to take every opportunity that we could get. There's no room for doubts. Our lives are at stake here. This is our gamble.

_Yuno. I have a plan._

We followed her inside the hospital. Eventually, we reached the west wing of the 4th floor. As we slowly sneaked through the hallway, some suddenly grabbed me from the back. As this person pulled me back, I then heard a clicking sound in front of me.

**BOOM!**

_It's been a while, First!_

A bomb detonated in front of me. Now, there's a huge gap between me, and Yuno. As I glanced back to my attacker, a familiar face greeted me. Uryuu, Minene, who is also known as Ninth, is chocking me with her arm as Yuno is frozen at her tracks. To my surprise, she was wearing a nurse outfit. Tsh. This is bad. Of all the people we could stumble on, she's probably the second one we're trying to avoid at the moment. "What the hell! Why are you here?!" I asked her as I struggled to remove her hold around my neck. "You two came on the right time. I was getting bored, but I need both of you to disappear. I don't want our date interrupted." Ninth stated as held a detonator at her hand. "Toshii!" Yuno shouted with a frighten look on her face.

Wait. There wasn't any static that came from my diary. That only means one thing. We will not die at the hands of Ninth! Without thinking, I quickly sabotaged Ninth's control pad of her bombs.

**BOOOM!**

An explosion detonated behind us. "Hey! What have you done?!" Ninth angrily shouted at me as the explosion behind us trapped us in a crumbling floor. "Heh. We won't die here, old hag!" I stated as I taunted her. As the two of us exchanged some taunts and insults, Yuno suddenly placed an extended ladder in front of us. As the ladder landed on the floor, the impact made the floor crumble faster than it should. "Yuno! Do it gently!" I frantically shouted as I managed to escape Ninth's grip.

As I was slowly crossing the gap with the ladder, Ninth suddenly grabbed me from behind. "Hold it! If you go first, she'll drop the ladder after you've crossed!" Ninth stated with as she held me back from crossing the ladder. "No, I won't." Yuno stated as firmly held the other side of the ladder. "So, I'll go first." Ninth stated as attempts to cross the ladder first. "Hell no! I go first!" I shouted at her as I tried to shake her off. I could feel her breasts hitting my back as she stopped on top of me.

"Geez! I won't! Wouldn't it hurt to trust your fellow criminal?" Ninth stated as she tried to continue crossing the gap. "No way! You're lying, you old hag!" I shouted as I stopped her once again. "Old hag?! You little shithead! Who are you calling old hag?! I'm only 18!" She angrily stated as she pinched my cheek. "What?! You're only 18?! Stop fucking with me! I swear you look like 25!" I shouted back at her I tried to stop her from pinching my cheek. As we both struggled crossing the gap, the floor behind us started to crumble faster. "Uh. First. Let's form an alliance for now. Yeah? Yeah? I'll even tell why the Fourth betrayed you two." She stated as slowly moved back to the crumbling floor. "What? Can we trust you?" I asked her as I stared at her. "Of course! I'm true to-"

**RIIIIING!**

Suddenly, her phone started ringing. "Who the hell could be calling me right now?" Ninth mumbled to herself as she brings out her phone and answers it. Her phone's speaker was loud, so we could hear the caller speaking. "This is Kurusu. I can see what's happening there with my diary. Just hold on a bit longer. I'll be there shortly." The caller stated. "I knew it! You'll betray us!" I shouted as I tried to cross the gap again. "Oy! Wait! Wait!" Ninth stated as she pulled me back. "Screw it! Let me go! Yuno! Help me!" I shouted as I struggled to break free from her hold. Unfortunately, my broken shoulder is holding me back. "Hold it! I'm on your side right now!" Ninth stated as she tried to persuade me.

"What's that supposed to mean, Ninth?! You plan on betraying me?" The caller angrily asked Ninth. "No, wait! I'm not!" Ninth frantically replied. "See?! Damn it! Let go, old hag!" I angrily shouted. "I'm telling you I'm on your side!" She replied as she tried to calm me down. "I'm always on your side, Toshii!" Yuno stated as she suddenly butt in. "Now isn't the time for our sweet talks, Yuno. Help me!" I shouted as I tried to make Yuno help me.

_I don't give a fuuuuuck!_

After a few moments of shouting unnecessary statements at each other, Ninth suddenly shouted in annoyance as she ended her call. She then released me and stood up. "Geez. My eardrums. I think I lost my hearing." I stated as I could hear something ringing in my ear. "That's for calling me an old hag. Anyway, come on." Ninth said as she helped me stand up.

_**BZZZZT!**_

As we were about to cross the gap on the floor, a static came from our phones. I quickly got my phone out and checked the new entry.

**June 14 13:35 [Sakurami General Hospital]**

_Uryuu, Minene_

She was cornered by the police, and was assaulted by the Fourth.

**DEAD END**

Oh. It looks Ninth's death flag is up too. How come she gets to live another day while me and Yuno will die today? That's pretty unfair. "Is that my entry?" Minene asked me as she peeked at my phone. I gave an affirmative nod as I began crossing the ladder. "We should go. Fourth is already in his way. We can't escape the hospital anymore." She stated as she followed me across the gap. As we reached the other side of the gap, Yuno quickly ran towards me. "Toshii!" Yuno shouted as she hugged me tightly. "Sorry for making you worry." I whispered to her as I patted her head.

"Oy, lovebirds. Follow me. I want an ace up my sleeve." Minene ordered us as she began to walk towards a certain room. Me and Yuno stood up, and followed her closely. After a brief walk, we reached our destination. Room 413. "What's this room?" I asked her as I inspect our vicinity closely. "Relax. This isn't a trap. I said I'll tell you why the Fourth betrayed you, right?" She asked as she opened the door. "Excuse us." She stated we entered the room. To my surprise, it was Kurusu's wife who greeted us. I quickly noticed that there's a kid who was lying down on the room's bed. Based on the number of medical equipment that is strapped on him, I could say that the kid is in a bad condition.

"Kurusu, Yoh. He's the Fourth's son. As of last month, he's been diagnosed with three months left to live. Fourth is trying to become god to save his son." Minene stated as she stared at the sleeping patient. So that's his reason? For me, that's pretty admirable. "Why do you know that?" Yuno asked as she glared at Minene. "We were allied at his request, but that doesn't matter now. We'll kill the Fourth. These guys are our insurance." Minene explained as she takes the donut box on top of the counter and opens it.

"Eat. You guys are hungry, right?" Minene ordered as she brings the box towards us. "Oy. That isn't ours." I stated as I tried to give her a stern look. "It'll do more for us than that dying kid. Come on." She stated as she gave another nudge to take a donut. "I'll pass. I'm good." I replied as I watched Yuno take one. "How does it feel being cornered like this, First?" She asked me as she continued to eat her donut. "Pretty nerve wrecking since I'm not 100%. My broken shoulder is a big hindrance for me." I replied as I leaned back against the wall. "Oh? What happened to you?" She asked as she patted my right shoulder, which made it pulsated with pain. "We jumped from the station's roof, and landed on a truck with cloth-like roofing. The roofing didn't really soften the impact." I explained as I gave out a few grunts of pain.

"Tsh. Three people with dead end flags. Pretty pathetic, isn't it?" Minene stated as she placed the box on top of the counter and approached the window. "Oh. Here they are." She stated as she stared outside of the window. "Heh. It looks like it." I stated as I saw the cops blocking the gate of the hospital. "It looks like we'll be allied for a while. In order to defeat Fourth, we'll be the NEW FUTURE DIARY ALLIANCE." She stated as she looked at us with a grin on her face.


	11. Chapter 11 - His Deceleration

Night soon fell at the hospital. As Ninth, Uryuu, Minene, ties Kurusu's wife and child with a rope; I watched the police surround the hospital's vicinity. From the looks of it, we can't escape this one. We have to fight back. As much as I want to, I couldn't lessen the bloodshed that will happen tonight. I have to protect Yuno. I have to make sure we'll get through this alive.

"Don't worry. I won't kill you, since you're our important ace in the hole. With you two, we'll have the upper hand against the Fourth. We'll beat the Dead End." Uryuu stated as she finishes binding Naoko's hands with the rope. "I'm sorry, Kurusu-san. We have to resort to this. I'll make sure you two will be fine." I stated as I tried to reassure their safety. To be honest though, that's something I can't fully assure since this will be a fight to the death. If Fourth decides to risk it, we have to use our trump card, which is using his own wife and son as our hostage. If he still insists on killing us, Uryuu will click the switch, which will detonate a bomb in this room. Ruthless, I know, but this is what we have to do survive.

"Got any problem with that?" Uryuu asked as she looks towards us. "I'm happy as long as Toshii survives." Yuno stated as she happily looks towards me. I can't help but to smile after hearing what she just said. From a random girl who promised that she'll marry me, who eventually became my creepy stalker, to my obsessive girlfriend. Heh. I can't deny that I'm always at the center of her thoughts. Also, I can't deny that she's the reason why I'm still fighting now. "I won't have any complaints, as long we survive this." I stated as I smiled back at Yuno.

"Anyways, during negotiations, scout the hospital, Toshiro. Gasai, you keep watch over the hostages and keep in touch with Toshiro." Uryuu ordered as she tinkers the bomb under Kurusu's son's bed. "Scouting, eh? Sounds good, old hag." I replied as I brought my revolver to check my remaining ammo. "Seriously. Stop with those things. If you want to call me something, you better use Nee-sama, alright?" Uryuu stated with annoyance. "Nee-sama?! What the hell? You're not my sister!" I quickly replied back at her. "We're working together now, aren't we? Would it be a big deal for you to put on some effort and call me that?" She asked as she stood up and approached us. "Tsh. Whatever. Do anything you want, Nee-san." I replied as I gave out an annoyed sigh. "That will do!" She replied as she patted my head with a smile. I could sense Yuno getting a bit annoyed with Uryuu's action, which something that I expected.

"Anyway, Toshiro. Pick one. Right, or left?" Uryuu asked me as she puts her hands inside her pockets. Hm? What is this for? "Uh. Right?" I replied with a curious look on my face. "Alright then. Take this with you." She replied as she throws an object towards me. I swiftly caught the object with my hands. Huh? It's a grenade. I haven't used a grenade before, so I can't tell if this is a frag or a flash. "I'm pretty sure you know how to use it, right?" She asked me as she peeks out of the window. "Pull the pin, let go of the spoon, and throw, right?" I replied as I placed the grenade inside my back pocket. "Yep. Be ready to use it." She stated as she brings out her phone and checks her diary.

"Toshii, take this too. You're out of ammo, right?" Yuno stated as she hands me 5 .45 bullets. I quickly glanced at my revolver's chamber. I still have 3 left. I don't really need extra ammunition since I can fight in close quarters, but in my current physical condition, I could say that I'm really at the disadvantage in a melee fight. Though, Yuno is a better shot at the moment. No doubt that she'll need some ammo too. "Alright. I'll take two. Thanks, Yuno." I stated as I take 2 bullets from her hand.

"Enough with the sweet talk, lovebirds. Let's get this started, shall we?" Uryuu ordered as she looks at us with an annoyed look on her face. "Understood, Nee-san." I replied as I approached the door. As I was about to open the door, Yuno suddenly grabbed on to my wrist. I could feel a slight tremble in her hand. "Be careful, alright, Toshii?" Yuno asked me as she holds on to her diary and my wrist. Hm? Did she check her diary? I did hear a faint static earlier. If so, she knows that I could die while scouting the halls. "Don't worry. We'll live through this. I promise." I replied as I grabbed on to her hand and held it firmly.

After giving her some assurance of our survival, I then double-checked my equipment. As of now, I only have a knife and a grenade, which I got from Uryuu earlier and a revolver with 5 bullets. If I'm going against SATs, I'm probably done for. Back then, I was pretty well-equipped when I tangled with them during my last contract. Though I managed to kill all 6 of them, they gave me quite a scare for my life. Not to mention, they gave me these facial scars on my face.

Before stepping out of the room, I looked back towards Yuno. "Yuno. After all of this is over, can we go somewhere? Just the two of us?" I asked her with a smile on my face. "Where?" Yuno replied with a blank look on her face. "I don't know. As long I get to be with you, and we could make some memorable memories, I'm fine with that." I replied as I gave out a chuckle. "Hm? You sure are random, Toshii." She replied as smiles at me. "Heh. So, it's a date then?" I asked her. "Sure! Take care!" She merrily replied. After hearing her reply, I then closed the door and proceeded to scout the hospital.

As I cautiously walked around the hallway, all I could hear are the sirens coming from the police cars outside. It's too quiet. If I could remember my entry correctly, I could die here anytime now. I have to remained focus. The SAT is not something to joke about. I slowly passed through the west wing. As I slowly walked through the hall with my eyes wide open for any sudden movement, I placed my phone inside my jeans' pocket, and brought out my knife. I held it close to the revolver. Though the revolver is quite heavy, I could still use my CQC skills. As I reached the middle of the hallway, I sudden noise surprised me.

**RIIIIIIIIIIIIING!**

Huh? That's my phone ringing. That must be Yuno. Before I could bring out my phone to answer the call, the noise of running footsteps alarmed me.

_Don't move!_

I quickly looked in front of me. Shit! They're here! 3 SAT in front of me, and 3 at my back! They're all running towards me with their weapons raised. Shit, shit, shit! I have to act fast! I quickly moved my body and shot one SAT member on his chest. To my surprise, the man only flinched as the bullet hits his chest. Damn it! They're all wearing bulletproof vests! I can't see any weak spots! The only spot I can hit them is that little space on their necks! Tsh! This broken shoulder of mine is reducing my aim!

I quickly holstered my revolver and charged towards the SAT members in front of me. As one of them quickly reacted to my action and tried to tackle me, I quickly stepped aside and cleanly slashed through his neck artery. As the man dropped dead on the floor, the other two tried to disarm me. As I tried to keep them at bay, one of them managed to grab on to my broken shoulder. My whole body ached in pain as the man tried to push me down on the floor.

_You're in a pinch, landlord? It looks like it's time for me to take over._

Within an instant, I quickly countered that man's hold on my shoulder and flipped him over. It feels like my body suddenly became lighter. As the man slowly stood up, his comrade tried to disarm me once again. Before he could grab on to me, I managed to land a strong knee on his stomach. "Ugh!" He shouted out in pain as the impact made him kneel in front of me. "Tsh. Come on! Bring it!" I shouted as I kicked the kneeling man on his face. As his body crashed towards the wall, I can't help but to smile as the feeling of ecstasy starts to cloud my mind.

_I'll kill you. I'll kill all of you!_

As I slowly approached the downed SAT member with my knife, the remaining four of them tackled me. Damn it! I focused too much on one that I forgot that there are still 4 of them unharmed! As I tried to fight back against my adversary, one of them grabbed on to my broken shoulder and slammed me on the floor. "Ahh!" I shouted in pain as my shoulder pulsated in pain. The impact made my equipment to fall out of my pockets. Tsh. Not yet! Not just yet! As I tried to get back up, they slammed me once again on the floor. They forcefully pushed my limbs down and locked my right arm behind me. Shit! Shit! Shit! The pain is too immense! If I forcefully frisk my locked arm away, that could severe my broken shoulder greatly! "We have the target secured!" One of them stated to his headset as he pushes my head flat on the floor. "Detective Kurusu will be here momentarily." One of them stated as he checked his downed comrade. Fourth?! Damn it! He'll kill me! Shit! Shit! Fuck it!

_Tsh. Sorry, landlord. I got careless. Take over for me, will you?_

_Shaco! Damn it! Not yet! I can't give up just yet! I just can't. Not until I give her the world that she rightfully deserves!_

"No you don't!" I shouted as I tried to forcefully free my locked arm. "Stop struggling!" One of them stated as they slammed me once again on the floor. I could feel blood trickling down from my nostrils. "Fuck off! I'm not going down! Not like this!" I shouted back at them as I willed myself to fight through the physical pain. To no avail, I couldn't break free from their hold. Damn it all! Damn it! "Yunoooooo!" I shouted out as despair slowly crept into my mind.

_Gasai, I won't let you do as you like!_

_Toshiii!_

My eyes widen as I heard those voice in the hallway. On my left, was bandaged Kurusu, who was sprinting towards me with his pistol drawn. On the opposite side, was Yuno, who was sprinting towards my aid. Yuno began shooting down the SAT members who were holding me down. As I expected, she was a better shot than me as she quickly gunned down two of them dead. As Fourth started firing at her, she quickly grabbed onto a dead body and used it as a meat shield. "I need Toshiro as a hostage!" Fourth shouted as he kept on shooting at Yuno. "Toshii! Run!" Yuno ordered as she killed my remaining captor. Unfortunately, Yuno ran out of ammo as she killed the last of the remaining SAT member.

"Toshiro!" Fourth shouted as he grabbed on to my broken shoulder and pulled me towards him. "Let it me go!" I shouted as I struggled to break free from his hold. "Shut it! You're my hostage, Toshiro!" He shouted back as he aimed his pistol onto my forehead. To my surprise, Yuno grabbed my grenade from the floor.

_Don't move!_

_If you move, I'll shoot him!_

_If you move, I'll set this off!_

The two shouted as they threated one another. For a moment, the two stared at one another. I tried once again to break free from Kurusu's hold, but he held onto my broken shoulder firmly. "That's enough, Gasai! Drop that!" Fourth ordered Yuno as he pushes his pistol onto my forehead. "Let Toshii go, or else everything's getting blown up!" Yuno quickly shouted back at him. "Okay, okay. Here's the deal. I'll let Toshiro go, but you have to throw that dangerous thing away." Fourth stated with an annoyed tone in his voice. "You let him go first." Yuno stated without adverting her gaze on us. "Tsh. Very well. Step back, Toshiro." Kurusu replied as he pushed me away from him.

_An opportunity!_

The moment Fourth pushed me away, I quickly tackled him and held him against the wall. "Tsh! Damn it, Toshiro!" Fourth shouted in anger as I used my left arm to pin his neck against the wall. "You're going down, Fourth!" I shouted as he points his pistol onto my forehead once again. Before I could react to his action, a tremendous pain pulsated throughout my body. "Ugggh! Damn it!" I shouted and groaned in pain as I grabbed on to my broken shoulder. I couldn't feel my right hand. Damn it all! The tremendous pain forced my body to kneel down. "Tsh. Oy! Gasai! Drop that!" Fourth shouted as he noticed Yuno still holding on the grenade. My eyes quickly diverted to Yuno's direction. As I stared at her with tears in my eyes, I could see her determination.

_No. Please. Don't do it._

"Don't worry, Toshii." Yuno stated as she held firmly at the grenade's pin. "Yuno! Stop! Don't do it!" I shouted at her. I can't move. The pain is too much for me. "I was practically dead, but you gave me a future." She stated as tries to give me an assuring smile.

_I will be Nohiru-kun's little bride._

_Pft. Alright then. I'll be your husband once we're old enough._

As I heard those words, our promise flashed into my mind. With those words, I gave her a future to look forward to. That's why she stalked me, watched over me.

She's holding on to our promise.

_Toshii is my hope in life. If our promise won't come true, then I'll die for Toshii, and even in death, I'll chase after you, Toshii! _

**CLING!**

Within that instant, Yuno pulled the grenade's pin. I couldn't move a muscle. I literally froze in fear and pain. In a spilt second, Yuno dashed towards Fourth grabbed onto his neck. "Gasai!" Fourth shouted with a shocked tone in his voice. "You're dying with me!" Yuno shouted as she lets go of the grenade. As I watched Yuno tackle Fourth with the live grenade on her hand, a sudden burst of adrenaline gushed inside my body.

_Should I just watch her die for me? My future? No. As long as I breathe, I won't let that happen! No! I refuse!_

"Yuno!" I shouted as I dashed towards her and pushed her away. She gave me a surprise look as I caught the live grenade with my hand. "You can't die on me! After all, I still have to marry you again in the future, right?!" I shouted as I was about to throw the grenade away. Suddenly, a bright light engulfed the three of us. The light was so intense that it managed to knock me down to the floor.

Was that, a flashbang? The ringing in my ear is not stopping and it's becoming stronger. I'm starting to lose consciousness. Fourth and Yuno got knocked out too. With my last ounce of adrenaline, I crawled towards the downed Yuno. As I tried to reach out for her, my body suddenly became numb. I couldn't move any further. My vision slowly blackened. The last thing I saw was my hand reaching out for my downed lover.

_I'm sorry, Yuno._

_I made you go through that risky situation._

_If we get through this, I swear I wouldn't allow this to happen again._

_Even if it costs my life, I will make sure you'll live through this game._

_**BZZZZZZT!**_

**BOOOOM!**

As I slowly regained my consciousness, I found myself in a devastated room filled with debris and rubble. Tsh. Uryuu detonated the explosives that she set on the hallway. I slowly pushed myself against the debris where I was lying down. As I sat up, I shake off the dust that was on my back. My whole body is aching in pain. I kneeled down as I try to regain my composure.

_Wait. Yuno!_

My eyes widen as I quickly searched the area for Yuno. To my relief, I found her on top of a debris on the 4th floor. Tsh. It looks like I fell down to the 3rd floor when the bomb detonated. Her fingers were still twitching, so I say she's still alive. I brushed off the pain and climbed towards her. I grabbed onto her body and wiped away the dust on her face. Thank god. She still has a pulse. I caressed her face with my dirty hand. "Bear with me. Please." I whispered to her as I prepared to carry her out of the area. As I was about to carry her on my back, a shadow loomed behind my back. Suddenly, someone pulled me from my collar and threw me on some debris.

The impact further pained my broken shoulder. As I groan and wheezed in pain, our attacker grabbed on to my hair and pulled me upwards. Tsh. Fourth. He's still alive. That means we still haven't evaded our dead ends. "Aren't I lucky, Toshiro? Before any other cops get here, I'll kill you two." Fourth stated as he landed a strong left hook on my face. After a couple of hooks and straights, he then kicked me downwards. I tumbled down the debris as I struggled to keep my consciousness.

Fuck it. I can't let it end like this. As I slowly stood up, I noticed Fourth's pistol lying on the floor. "Don't bother, Toshiro. You can't shoot with that injury of yours." Fourth stated as I picked up his gun. Ugh. Before I could turn around and aim at him, I suddenly coughed out blood from my mouth. My vision is shaking. My knees are weak. Every part of my body is screaming in pain. Damn it, Toshiro. Endure it. Endure it somehow. As I turned around and aimed at Fourth, to my surprise, he was holding onto Yuno as a hostage. "Are you sure, Toshiro? Are you sure you wouldn't hit someone else?" He taunted me as he held on to Yuno with a scalpel pointed on her neck.

"Fourth! I'll fucking kill you! Drop her!" I shouted in anger as I aimed the pistol at Fourth with my shaking right hand. "Drop the gun, Toshiro! Drop it or I'll slice her neck wide open!" Fourth ordered as he pricks Yuno's skin with the scalpel. Blood started to trickle down as the scalpel pierced Yuno's skin. In that instant, Yuno managed to regain her consciousness. "Ah, you've come to. Stay put; else my hand will slip." He stated as Yuno slowly opened her eyes. Damn it, Toshiro! Do something! I can't even keep my right hand from shaking! Find a way to save her, damn it!

"What now, Thanatos?! I thought you'll shoot me?!" Fourth shouted out as he coldly stared at me. Fuck, fuck, fuck! If I shoot, I will surely miss Fourth and will hit Yuno! If I don't shoot, he'll kill Yuno and then, me. Decide, Toshiro! Can I risk it?!

"What's wrong? You're shaking! Come on, Thanatos! Kill me! Shoot me!" Fourth taunted me as he kept on shaking Yuno. "Fuck you, Fourth! Drop her and face me like a man! Fight me like a man if you have the balls for it!" I angrily shouted at him, hoping my anger could cover my despair. Hang on, Yuno! I'll come up with something! Your Toshii will save you!

_Shoot, Toshii._

My eyes widen in fear as I heard her command. "I don't mind if you shoot me. If I'm going to die for you, then I'll be happy. That's what I could do as your girlfriend. Even if it's a mock-wedding, you announced that you're prepared to marry me. I'm already happy." Yuno stated as she tries to give a warm smile, despite her condition. "Shut it, Gasai! Screw happiness! I don't have time to play along with your happy couple act!" Fourth shouted as he continues to choke Yuno. As he shakes Yuno, a picture fell out from Yuno's pocket. The picture landed in front of me. It was our mock-wedding picture.

_Oy, landlord. Are you listening? This might sound weird and all, but do something, and save her. Please. This is for the best of us._

_Stop being so selfish, Yuno!_

A shocked Yuno and Fourth looked at me as I picked up our picture and placed it inside my pocket. "Toshii…" Yuno murmured as she struggled through the pain.

_You always say that, Yuno. Every, fucking, time! It's always about me! Damn it! Enough about me! Don't you want to be happier than this?! Don't you want to marry me, but this time, for real?! Don't you want to grow old with me?!_

"If it won't come true, then I want you to live at least!" Yuno sadly replied as tears started to fall from her eyes.

_I said enough about me! Start thinking for us! The two of us! You are my future after all, right?! Start thinking for our future, damn it!_

I aimed the pistol at Fourth. This time around, I used my left hand to support my shaking right hand. This is it. I can't back down now. It's another gamble. Our lives, or Fourth's.

_I will make you happy! We'll get through this, and we're going back to our normal lives! Even you've given up, there's no way in hell I'm giving up on you! You know why, Yuno? It's because, I love you._

_**BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

**BANG!**

The smell of gunpowder filled the air. Fourth slowly slumped down backwards. I did it. I got him. The bullet pierced through his chest. He tried to stop the blood from gushing out from the entry wound. As he was trying to stop the bleeding, I rushed towards Yuno. "Toshii! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Yuno apologized as she hugged me tightly. Her tears freely flowed out. "I told you, didn't I? I won't give up. No matter what." I replied as I hugged her back.

_Not, yet! I can't die here!_

Suddenly, Fourth regained his composure. He slowly approached us with the scalpel in his hand. I quickly aimed at him with the pistol.

**CLICK!**

Fuck! It's out of bullets! I threw the pistol away and pushed Yuno behind me. "Toshii?! What are you doing?!" Yuno yelled as she tried to stop me. "Move back! I'll handle this!" I replied as I tried to stand up against Fourth. To my utter surprise, my body gave up on me. My body crashed down on the floor as Fourth slowly approached me. "Damn it..Why now…" I murmured in pain. "The one to become God is…I'll become God and…" Fourth murmured in pain as he was about to slash me with the scalpel.

_That's enough, Chief!_

That voice. I slowly tilted my head towards the voice's direction. Uryuu and Nishijima arrived at the scene. "Nee-san…" I murmured as I looked at the two. "Nishijima. What the hell are you doing here?" Fourth asked as he stopped in his tracks. "Karyuudo, Tsukishima's case and your plot to entrap these two, I heard everything from Uryuu, Minene." Nishijima stated with a bold sense of justice in his voice. "You're going to believe a terrorist's words, Nishijima?" Fourth retorted back at his right hand. "Well, I have the evidence." Uryuu stated as she brings out her phone and plays a recording.

_I want to make a deal with you. I won't come after you for a while. I'll continue to feed you whatever the police have and make things easy for you. _

There's no doubt about it. That was Fourth's voice in the recording. "Drop the weapon, chief. You're under arrest." Nishijima ordered Fourth. "Arrest?" Fourth muttered with a shocked tone in his voice. "You're no longer a detective. You're just a criminal. Without the rights to investigate, you can't get any predictions from your Investigation Diary." Uryuu stated as Fourth drops the scalpel. "I see." Fourth said as he brings out his phone and checks his diary. "Where's my wife and kid?" He then asked Nishijima. "The SAT rescued them before the explosion. They're both safe." Nishijima replied at Fourth's question. "I see. Ninth, I know I'm being selfish, but could you form an alliance with me again? The compensation is my life!"

**SNAP!**

With those words, Fourth snapped his phone into two. "Please look after my son!" Fourth shouted at Uryuu as he threw his broken phone aside. "I accept." Uryuu boldly replied. "Oy. Toshiro. I'm sorry about all of this. I don't expect you to forgive me, but, live!" Fourth shouted at me as a vortex started to suck him in. "Tsh. Geez. You don't need to tell me that, you fucker." I replied with a smirk on my face. Within seconds, his body disappeared as the vortex sucked him in completely.

_**BZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

_With that, Fourth, Kurusu, Keigo, is out of the game._

With my last once of strength, I brought out my phone. Luckily, it was unscratched. It looks like we avoided our dead end flags. "Heh. Give me a break, will you.." I weakly muttered out as my vision blackened.

_How long can I keep this up? I mustn't falter. We have to keep moving forward. No matter who dies, we have to reach the future that we aim for. That's the only thing we have to do to live in this cruel world. Am I right, Yuno?_


	12. Chapter 12 - Sidenotes 2

Hello to my readers!

UnseenMemory here for another author's sidenotes! Thank you for reading/supporting Future Diary: Existence! I do hope you guys enjoyed the first 10 chapters! Anyway, I'm back with another question and answer segment! These are probably some random questions concerning my OC and some events in the story. Please don't be shy and ask some questions too! I would gladly answer them in the next sidenotes. (bold for questions, italic for answers)

**Could you explain the entity inside Toshiro's head? Is he something supernatural of sorts?**

_That entity that you speak of is Shaco. During his days as a young assassin, Toshiro created a split personality of sorts that could shield him from the essence of guilt. As you guys saw in the earlier chapters, Shaco is sadistic, ruthless, and bloodthirsty. He will not hesitate to kill someone who's in his way. _

**What's up with the whole Minene's "elder-sister" act during chapter 9 and 10?**

_I really felt that Minene's character was a bit held back by Yukiteru. In some sorts, Minene and Toshiro are pretty similar. Both of them lost their families at an earlier age, went through intense and traumatic experience as a child, and they just want to have a normal life. I want to establish a bond between the two which will greatly affect Toshiro's decision-making at the later part of the story._

**Who's Mist? Will he play a big role in the story?**

_Mist is Toshiro's information broker when he was still working as an assassin. After Toshiro's last contract, Mist helped him escape his job. He then gave Toshiro a chance to start over, and have a normal life. Though he helped Toshiro a lot, their relationship is strictly professional. I could say he's a major supporting character to Toshiro. _

**Why is your OC a bit "aggressive" to Yuno? Aren't you taking things too fast?**

_Well, Toshiro's emotions were held back previously thanks to his job. So everything he's experiencing with Yuno, like love and lust, is entirely new to him. He doesn't really know how to properly act during those scenarios. It's like his mind freezes while his body does the work. He's trying his best to control his urges and all, but what can you expect. He's a growing teenager lol_

**Didn't your OC considered Yuno as a friend when she started to fight alongside him?**

_To be honest, no. Toshiro saw Yuno as a powerful ally, and his most dangerous enemy in the game. At first, he was really hesitant to create a bond with her, but as the story progresses on, he eventually saw Yuno as someone who's important to him. _

**Why is your OC chasing a normal life? **

_It's simply because he didn't wanted to be an assassin in the first place. He just wants to have normal and quiet life. Now that he has Yuno as his lover, he also wants her to share that normal life with him. _

**If there would be an anime adaption of your work, who would you like to voice your OC?**

_I would love to have Sakurai, Takahiro-san to voice Toshiro. I really love his performance as Cloud Strife and Makishima, Shogo. _

Well, that concludes our short question and answer portion part 2! Please do keep reading and support my work. It really helps me a lot. Please do not hesitate to give my work a review or some sorts. It will really help me to improve the flow of the story.

Anyway, please do watch out since I might release a one-shot this month. I'm planning to make a lengthy Akame ga Kiru one-shot with two OCs of mine killing one another. I'll try to blend my characters to story as much as possible. Again, it would be a tragic/drama fanfic.

Well, this is UnseenMemory, signing off to do more school-works!


	13. Chapter 13 - A False Peace

Darkness.

All I could see is darkness.

Where the hell am I? Hello? Anybody? As I turned around, a sudden flicker of light passed through me. Hm? What the heck is that? As I tried to move my head to look around, a sudden feeling stopped me.

What is this, feeling? I could feel something trickling down from my neck. It's something warm and thick. The smell of iron filled my nose. What is this? I slowly placed my hand on my neck. Wait. Oh, god.

It's blood. There's blood flowing down from my neck. There's a big gaping hole in the middle of neck. It's like something slashed through it. What the hell is happening? Who in the world..

_Don't worry, Nohiru-kun. I'll become God and bring you back. After that, we'll be together forever._

_Ahhhhh!_

I quickly looked around as I frantically sat up on top of my bed. I'm still inside my messy room. I took some time to catch my breath as I wiped away the sweat from my face. What the hell was that about? I can't understand it. What the happened in my dream? I swear. That voice in the end. It really sounded like Yuno's. I gave out a deep sigh as I tried to shake off this absurd feeling of anxiety inside of my chest. That was just a dream. There's no way she'll do that. As I was about to stand up from my bed, I noticed a DVD case on top of my nightstand. As it grabbed my attention, I grabbed the case and checked it out.

_Total Recall._

Oh. I remembered. I watched this sci-fi flick before I slept last night. That doesn't explain that nightmare of mine. Tsh. Oh well. After placing the DVD case aside, I grabbed my phone from the same nightstand. I opened it and checked my diary for any new entries. Nothing particular got my attention. Another day I can live normally then. Oh. It's already 0830am in the morning. I have to get ready. I can't be late for our second date.

6 days has passed ever since Fourth tried to take our lives. With the timely arrival of Ninth and Nishijima, we managed to defeat Fourth and avoid our Dead Ends. Within the span of nine days, my broken shoulder slowly healed. Though I can move my right arm without any pain, there are times that my shoulder would randomly pulsated in pain. I'm pretty sure I'm not 100% yet.

During that incident, I promised Yuno to take her somewhere. It does counts as a date since we're planning to find a place that we could be alone together. Hm. I could bring her to the park or something. Oh, wait. There's that certain place I want to revisit after all these years. I bet she'll love it there. It's a park in a nearby town. It's a park that I used to go with my mother when I was still young. I think this will help me move on from that accident. Anyway, the travel time is probably 5 hours or so? We need to ride a train first, and then ride a bus that will bring us to that place.

We probably have to stay for the night since the last bus that could bring us back to the train station leaves at 8pm. If we leave at 1200nn and we'll probably reach the bus station at 0200pm. Then, the bus ride from the station to that town will probably take 2 to 3 hours. I don't want to drag Yuno around after that exhausting trip. Maybe we could find an inn or something where we could stay for the night.

After packing my things into my black duffle bag, I proceeded to lock the rooms and went out of the unit. After locking the main door, I proceeded to walk towards the elevators. Wait. Does Mist have a spare key to my unit? He might want to crash my unit and rest for a bit. He does that regularly back then. Ever since this survival game started, he seldom visits my place. Pft. He's probably busy with his work. I might bother him if I tried to contact him.

After a short walk from the condominium, I reached the nearby park where Yuno and I planned to meet each other. As I expected, Yuno was already at the park, waiting for me. "Keep you waiting, huh?" I asked her as I approached my girlfriend, who was sitting in one of the swings. "Not really, Toshii. Oh! You look dashing today!" Yuno replied with a big smile on her face.

Hm? Dashing? I'm just wearing a black long-sleeved polo with a red tank top inside, red slim cut pants, and my black leather shoes. I don't really find my appearance dashing or sorts. I look plain or something. "Heh. You're beautiful as always." I stated as I stared at her clothing. She's wearing a light blue jacket with a dark blue v-neck shirt inside, grey shorts, black and purple stockings and brown knee-high boots. Not to mention, she also brought a white duffle bag with her.

"Really? Thank you, Toshii!" Yuno merrily replied as she quickly stood up and hugged my arm. "Clingy as always, aren't we? Anyway, shall we go?" I asked her as I nuzzled my chin on her pink hair. "Sure, Toshii!" She replied with another big smile on her face. We held hands as we walked towards the SAKURAMI CENTRAL STATION. It's a 15-minute walk from the park, so it's quite near.

"You know, Toshii. I'm really happy right now. If there's going to be the best happy ending ever in life, I want it to be today." Yuno happily stated as she hugged my arm tightly. "Aren't you a bit too excited?" I commented as I gave out a chuckle. "Yes, I am! I want to make this moment last forever, Toshii!" She stated as she ran ahead in front of me. She stopped a few meters away from me and turned around to face me with a smile on her face. I can't help to admire at her beauty.

"Alright, alright. We'll make this last forever. Just make sure to leave some space for our future memories together, alright?" I stated as I approached her. As I stood in front of her with a smile on my face, Yuno then closed her eyes and pouted her lips towards me. I can't help to get flustered as my girlfriend demands a kiss from me in broad daylight. Not to mention, we're in a public space. Well, I think it's nice to spoil her at times. I quickly drew her closer and locked my lips onto hers. After some seconds, we moved away from one another. "You've gotten better at kissing, Toshii." Yuno stated with a playful giggle. "It's because you're my partner, after all." I stated as I tried to cover my flustered face.

After some minutes of walking, we finally reached the station. As Yuno went to the counter to buy our tickets, I checked the net for any available inns in that town. To my surprise, the only thing available in that town is a hotel. From the pictures, I could say it's pretty expensive. Tsh. It looks like I have to loan some cash from Mist. I do have his savings card with me. I hope he wouldn't mind. After buying our tickets, Yuno merrily went back to me. "Here you go, Toshii!" Yuno stated as she handed me my train ticket. "Thanks!" I said as I took the ticket from her hand.

**RIIIIIING!**

A sudden text message surprised me. I quickly opened my phone and checked the inbox. To my surprise, it was Akise who texted me. It's been a while ever since we texted each other. I wonder what's up with him. As I was about to check the message, Yuno suddenly snatched my phone from my hands. "We might miss the train. Let's run, Toshii!" Yuno stated as she playfully ran towards the station's entry point with my phone in her hands. "Oy! Wait up!" I shouted as I playfully chased her.

After goofing around, we decided to wait at the platform. The platform was pretty empty, which is a rare sight to see. As I stretched and looked around the area, I suddenly felt an urge to go to the comfort room. "Yuno. How many minutes left till the train arrives?" I asked Yuno as I kept on looking around. "Uh. 10 minutes or so, Toshii. Why?" Yuno replied as she curiously looked at me. "Nothing, really. I just need to go the comfort room. I might buy some snacks or drinks before going back here. Do you want anything particular?" I asked her as I took out my wallet to check my remaining cash. I only have 7500 yen left. This will do till I can withdraw some money from Mist's savings account. "Anything, Toshii! I do want something sweet." She stated with a smile on her face. "Alright, then. Later!" I shouted as I ran towards the comfort rooms.

After doing my business in the comfort room and buying our snacks, I hurriedly went back to Yuno. "Sorry if I took a while. The queue was pretty long." I stated as I approached Yuno, who didn't moved from her position earlier. "It's alright, Toshii. Here!" Yuno replied as she gave me back my phone. I quickly remembered that Akise mailed me earlier. As I opened my phone and checked my inbox, I noticed that I couldn't find his mail. Did Yuno delete it? "Uh. Yuno. Where's Akise's mail?" I asked her as I kept on scrolling down in my inbox. "Oh? That? I deleted it. It was only a spam mail, Toshii." She replied with a smile on her face. "Oh? A chain-mail of sorts? I didn't know that Akise was into those things." I stated I placed my phone inside my pocket. After a few minutes of waiting, our train finally arrived.

Yuno merrily dragged me into the train. We sat down near the train's door. As Yuno sat down in front of me, I took our snacks out from my duffle bag. "Here. Is chocolate okay with you?" I asked her as I handed her a box of Pocky. "Anything will do, Toshii. As long I got it from you, I'm fine with that!" She merrily replied as she took the box from my hand. Her reply caught me off guard. I can't help but to sheepishly blush in front of her. "Anyway, I brought some water too. I was supposed to bring some playing cards, but I couldn't find earlier." I stated as I placed my duffle bag aside and sat in front of Yuno. I noticed that her duffle bag is bigger than usual. "Your bag is pretty full, eh? What's inside?" I asked her with a curious tone in my voice. "Uh. The usual! Clothes, underwear, food, medicine, and… some other stuff!" She merrily replied as she continued to eat her sweets.

After two hours of talking to Yuno and staring at the scenery outside, we eventually arrived at our stop. As we went out of the station, I kept a close watch at the time. It's already 0145pm in the afternoon. Hopefully, there's a bus waiting for us at the bus terminal. Our destination is pretty far from here, so if we miss a bus, it might take some time before we could catch another one. "Yuno. We should hurry. We might miss our ride. We have to check in the hotel as soon as possible." I stated as we walked towards the terminal with our hands together. Yuno simply nodded back at me with a smile on her face. In reply, I patted her head gently.

Luckily, there's a bus waiting for us in the terminal. We hurriedly went inside of the bus and sat at the back. After a few moments, the doors closed and the bus proceeded with its journey. As Yuno happily looked at the scenery outside, I noticed that there were only a few passengers inside the bus. I wonder what happened to that town. Back when Mom brought me to that place, I could vaguely remember the amount of people that rode the bus with us. I can't help but to compare the number of passengers today, to that time. Back then, there were a lot of people who went to that town. I do remember that the town was pretty lively as the tall buildings enhanced the aura of the town. Oh well. It's probably not that important. There's more alone time for us.

After a lengthy ride, I could finally see our destination. The park is quite big and the surround scenery of nature circled around it. Not to mention, there's also a lake near the forest. As I stared outside of the bus, I can't help but to notice the nearby buildings. The entire town looks abandoned. The tall buildings that were gallantly gleaming during morning and afternoon are now rugged down and dirty. The number of people that I used to see in this place vastly decreased. Did the place go bankrupt? Tsh. What a waste.

As I was about to press the stop button, Yuno, who was sleeping a minute ago, stopped my hand. "Hm? What's wrong?" I asked her as she caught me by surprise. "Let's go a little further." Yuno replied as she places my hand on her lap. "But we went here to have a picnic in that park." I stated with a confused look on my face. "There's a better place, Toshii." She replied as she presses her lips onto my cheek. Defeated by her kiss, I can't help but to agree to her preposition. It looks like our picnic date will have to wait.

After another hour, we finally arrived at the last stop. As the bus departed the bus stop, I glanced over my watch. It's already 0545pm. Dang. It's getting dark. We better go to the hotel now. After a long time of waiting at the bus stop, I glanced over my watch once again. Damn. It's already 0625pm? There's no sign of cars in the area. As I looked around the vicinity, I noticed that we were quite near the town that I saw earlier. By now, I could really confirm that the town looks abandoned. "Toshii. My butt hurts from sitting down." Yuno stated as she stood up and stretched her arms. "Oh. We should walk around then. There are vending machines nearby. Shall we wait for a ride there?" I asked her as I stood up and patted my aching back. "Okay!" She happily replied.

We sat down on a bench near the vending machines. As I fixed our bags placement in an orderly manner, Yuno brought out her coin purse. "Are you sure this is right place, Yuno? It's getting dark. We find a way to get to our hotel." I asked her as I keep on examining our vicinity. "Yep! Our ride will arrive any minute now. Anyway, are you thirsty, Toshii?" Yuno asked me as she picked her bag up. Hm? Why would she need to bring her entire bag?

"I'll do it. I'm pretty sure your legs are tired too." I stated as I pushed my duffle bag aside and stood up. "No, no! I can do it! You just sit back and relax, Yukki!"

_Yukki?_

The moment Yuno mentioned that name, she suddenly fell on her kneels while painfully clutching on to her head. "Yuno!" I shouted as I quickly rushed to her side. From her expression, I could really say she's in a lot of pain. Is it migraine or some sorts? Wait. Who's Yukki? Did Yuno stutter? Well, Yukki does sound very similar to Toshii. "Are you okay? Lean on to me. I'll bring you to the bench." I stated as I gently rubbed her bag. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm okay, Toshii.." Yuno painfully replied as she tries her best to shake off the pain. "Are you sure? Don't push yourself. I could get us drinks. You have medicine, right? Just relax and sit back for a while. Let me.."

_No! I can do it on my own!_

Yuno's annoyed shout caught me by surprise. It's my first time to hear her shouting at me like that. Did I tick her off that much? I was just worried about her. "I'm sorry. Okay. I'll sit back." I stated as I moved back with an embarrassed look on my face. "No. I'm sorry, Toshii. I'm just tired and all. Please! Just sit back and allow your girlfriend to do it!" Yuno replied as she caressed my face gently. After giving her an assuring nod, I went back to the bench.

After 5 minutes, Yuno finally went back to the bench with our drinks in her hand. "Here, Toshii! I got you a Dr. Pepper!" Yuno happily stated as she hands me an opened can of Dr. Pepper. "Thanks!" I replied as I took the can and proceeded to drink from it. We sat idly at the bench as I kept staring on the road. Still, there's no sign of cars or anything. I was about to ask Yuno if she was annoyed with me earlier, when a sudden feeling of nausea filled my brain. I tried to shrug off the headache, but it was too immense. Wait. I could smell something strong coming from my drink!

**HEARTBEAT.**

What the hell? My vision is getting blurred. My senses are going numb. It's like my nerves are shutting down on its own. Though I struggled to keep my consciousness, my entire body gave up and crashed down on the stone pavement. Is this an ambush? Damn it! There wasn't a static from my diary! What the hell is this?! Yuno! I have to protect-

Wait. Yuno. She's okay. She's smiling at me….

…..

_Oh? She got you too? It's pretty for her to do it, landlord. Don't worry. You'll be fine._

Darkness.

Darkness surrounds me once again.

This familiar feeling. I know this place.

I slowly opened my eyes. Though it was very dark, I could see a figure of a person in the center of my sight. I quickly recognized the figure. "Shaco." I said as I called out the insane personality of mine. To my surprise, his laughter echoed throughout the darkness. The figure slowly approached me. "My, my. You haven't forgotten about me, eh?" Shaco stated as he stopped a few feet away from me. I could see his sinister grin as happily hopped around in front of me. "How could I? You're my insanity. Now, what do you want? What the hell happened to me?" I coldly asked him as I glared at his eyes. "Heh. I am insane indeed, landlord. Sadly, I can't answer you since I wasn't the one who was controlling your body earlier." He replied as he gave out a sinister laugh. "Tsh. Useless." I stated with an annoyed tone.

_What did you say?_

To my surprise, he suddenly appeared beside me. My body suddenly froze. No matter how hard I try, I can't move. I could feel my cold sweat starting to trickle down from my face. "Oh? Did I startle you? Let me taste that fear." Shaco stated as he suddenly licked my face. I could feel his slimy saliva smeared across my cheek. Simply disgusting, but I can't fight back.

"This taste! This exquisite taste of pure fear! How I missed this!" Shaco merrily shouted in ecstasy as he merrily vanished and reappeared around me. What the hell. This being is too deranged. What have I created? "Anyway, hey, landlord. Could you do me a favour?" He asked me as he suddenly stopped in front of me. "What do you want?" I coldly asked him as I finally regained my control over my body. "Win the game, will you?" He asked him as I noticed his tone suddenly became serious. "Win the game? I'm not sure about that. I'm pretty sure that you know that I already devoted my life to her. If she needs me to die, then I-"

_Are you a fucking saint?! Are you trying to engrave your name in the Guinness Book of Records for being the biggest retard to ever walk in this plane?! Are you, lover boy?!_

His sudden uproar startled me. I could feel his angry glare piercing through my soul. I could really feel a killing intent from him. Is this how it feels whenever I stare down my target? "Promise me you'll win it. Promise me that you'll kill her. Help me fulfil my promise!" Shaco angrily demanded as his eyes burned with anger. "What the hell is wrong with you?! You can't force me to kill the girl that I love!" I angrily shouted back at him. "You don't know anything, you naïve brat!" He angrily shouted back at me. I could feel his fury in his words. "How can a bloody deviant inside my own head, make a promise that I wouldn't know?!" I shouted at him as I demand an answer from him. I know he is my insane persona, but I really can't understand what he's saying. It doesn't make any sense.

"You'll find out soon enough. I might be your psycho persona, but we are the same." Shaco stated as his serious tone was suddenly replaced by his old, sarcastic tone. "What the hell are you talking about?! Tell me!" I shouted as I ran towards him and tried to grab on to him. To my surprise, my hand simply passed right through him. He kept on laughing at me as his body slowly vanished to the darkness. The deafening sound of silence was the only thing I could hear as I stared into the darkness. What the hell is he talking about?! Shit! I want answers, damn it! How are we the same?! How? How?!

_A non-existent being._

I slowly regained my consciousness. I'm still alive? Where the hell am I? What the hell happened? My memory is shaken up. My head is a complete mess. That talk with Shaco rattled me even more. Even so, I have to find Yuno. What happened to her? I have to make sure she's okay.

I slowly opened my eyes. Damn. My vision is still blurry. I found myself inside a dark room. I could hardly see a thing in the darkness. Yeah, my vision is pretty blurred out, but I could see a light source in front of me. From the shape of it, it looks like it's a computer console of sorts. Like a row of monitors. Eh? Why can't I move my arms and legs? To my utter surprise, my arms and legs were strapped into the armrests and legs of a wooden chair. What the hell is this?! Did somebody catch us?! Where's Yuno?! Yuno!

My vision slowly returned to its normal state as my anxiety and fear caused a sudden surge of adrenaline in my body. I slowly looked around the room. Shit. It looks like I'm trapped in a big room. Like I said earlier, the only light source that room has, is the light that were coming from this row of monitors in front of me. The monitors show various camera footages coming from different security cameras. Wait. There are three chairs in front of me. Are those, skulls on top of two chairs?! What the fuck is this?! This is an insane setting! Was I brought into an asylum?!

I struggled to remove the straps on my wrists and legs, but to no avail. Shit. The straps are locked with a padlock. I don't see a key or anything near me. Wait. I saw something. I saw something in the corner of my eye. I slowly tilted my head to my side. To my surprise, the wall behind me is filled with a certain photo. It was our mock-wedding photo. An immense feeling of anxiety and confusion filled my mind. No. It can't be. Did Yuno plan all of this?! Shit! Shit! I could vaguely remember that we were waiting for our ride. Wait. The drink! She made me drink something! I have to free myself! I can't let her go to her psycho mode! I can't let her lose her sanity!

_Oh? You're awake, Toshii?_

I quickly shifted my gaze in front of me. Yuno. It was Yuno. She was sitting in front of the monitor. She tilted her head and smiled at me. Wait. Why is she stripped down to her underwear?! Why am I stripped down to my underwear?! What the hell is happening?!

After clicking some buttons, Yuno stood up and picked up a tray from the floor. She hummed a merry tune as she approached me. "Hey. Please. Tell me what's happening." I nervously asked her. I could feel that my body is severely weakened from the inside. It's like something sapped my strength. "What are you talking about? Eat up, Toshii! It's your favourite!" Yuno happily stated as she placed the tray beside my chair. She picked up a plate from the tray and sat down on my lap facing me. "What?" I weakly asked her as I looked at the plate. Is it a pre-heated processed meal? Why does it look so, unappetizing? "Its beef stew! Isn't this your favourite? Open wide!" She ordered as she brings a spoon filled with the processed food. "Yuno. Please. I'm not hungry. Tell me. What the hell is going on?! What did you do?!" I frantically asked her as I try to evade the spoon.

After staring at me for quite some time, Yuno's smile slowly disappeared. She then stood up, placed the tray aside and walked over our duffle bags, which was a few meters away from me. "Yuno? What are you doing?" I weakly asked her as I suddenly hear a metal noise coming from her bag. "You know, Toshii, I really love you. I really love it when you're obedient to me." Yuno stated with a cold tone in her voice. I could feel my anxiety and fear swelling up in my chest. It's getting difficult for me to breathe.

After getting something from her bag, Yuno slowly approached me with a disappointed look in her face. Wait. I could see two syringes in her hand. What the fuck is in that?! "Yuno! What are you doing?!" I frantically shouted at her as she sat on my lap once again. "Are you not enjoying this, Toshii?" Yuno asked me with her puppy eyes look. Suddenly, something inside of me snapped. A sudden gush of anger flowed into me. "Are you fucking kidding me?! Who would enjoy this scenario?! Stop this bullshit, Yuno! This isn't the time for games! Let me go!" I shouted at her as this sudden fury clouded my mind.

_Huh?_

I felt something pricked through my skin. My entire left arm started to feel numb. Oh, no. Yuno injected something inside of me. Suddenly, my entire body felt numb. I couldn't move any muscle at all. Wait. My breathing became normal again. What the hell did she inject into me? "Yuno, what the hell was that?" I weakly asked her as my fuming rage slowly simmered down. "It's just some mild tranquilizers, Toshii. It'll help you relax." Yuno replied as she threw the used syringe aside.

Suddenly, I felt another pricking sensation, but this time, it's on my right arm. This time around, something sparked in my brain. It's like my senses are going haywire. I still can't move my body, but my senses suddenly became hyper sensitive. "And that's a shot of aphrodisiac. Now, I'll make you enjoy our scenario, Toshii." Yuno seductively whispered to my ear as she began to lick my left ear. A sudden spark of pleasure ridiculed my mind.

_No. I don't want this. Please. Stop, Yuno. Please._

Yuno ignored my pleas and continued to licking my body. From my ear, she went down to my neck, then to my collarbone. She seductively caressed my neck as she licks and kisses my collarbone. I could feel my blood getting sucked up on the spot she's kissing. "There. That's a proof that you're all mine." Yuno whispered as she moves upwards from my collarbone. Did she, gave me a hickey? Shit. This isn't good. I'm trying my best to struggle against this, but with those chemicals inside my body, I couldn't resist the waves of pleasure from clouding my mind. If she keeps this up, I might go crazy with my senses going haywire with every touch she makes.

_No one will hinder our happy ending, Toshii. Like I said before, I'll do everything for that to happen._

Yuno presses her lips onto my dried lips. She forced her tongue inside my mouth as she kept on seductively caressing my face. As her tongue wrestled with mine, she keeps on pulling my face closer to hers. Shit. Resist. I must. Resist.

_No one will snatch you away from me._

After a long passionate kiss, Yuno filled my body with hickeys. I could feel my whole body quivering in unwanted pleasure. "Stop it..Please.." I weakly whispered as I could feel my sanity slowly crumbling down. "Will you behave now, Toshii?" Yuno whispered into my ear as I could feel her breathe hitting it. "Why are you doing this, Yuno? Why?" I weakly asked her as I struggled to keep my consciousness awake. "It's because I love you, Toshii. I don't want anyone to harm you, or take you away from me. By doing this, we could live in peace since no one will be able to find us. We'll be living this peaceful life forever, Toshii. Don't you want that?" She asked me as she explained her actions.

_I could live a peaceful life with her? _

After hearing her explanation, my resistance against her actions suddenly crumbled. Tsh. I can't really have a normal life, can't I? How come I didn't notice that this scenario is quite beneficial to us? A life where it will just be the two of us, living peacefully, with no on, hindering, our daily lives. This could work. No one will be caught in our mess. Akise, Hinata, Mao, and Kousaka. They'll be safe from this mess. Oh well. I just have to get used to those processed food and chemicals that she stuffs into me. Heh. I couldn't help but to laugh, which surprised Yuno.

_I'm sorry, Mist. I'm sorry that I wasted that opportunity. It looks like we'll never see each other, mate._

"I accept." I stated as I weakly stared at Yuno with a smile on my face. Yuno let out a sigh of relief and blushed heavily. "Thank you, Toshii. I'll take good care of you." Yuno stated as hugged me tightly. This is it for my dream then. As long I get to fill my mind with memories of her, I'll be fine. As long as I have her by my side, I'll be fine. I can't leave her. I have to support her. I'm her emotional and mental support, after all. Slowly, my consciousness faded away.

Almost a week has passed since I allowed Yuno to "take care" of me. She keeps me hydrated, nourished and clean every single day. She even takes care of my bathroom needs. Why does she need to strap me onto this chair, though? It's not like I'll run away or something. Slowly, I got used to those processed food that she brought along. Though I've been obedient to her demands, she keeps on injecting those drugs into my body. I couldn't hear Shaco anymore. Slowly, our memories together covered my guilt and regrets. I can't think straight anymore. I'm probably losing it. We were doing our daily make-out routine, when a sudden beep startled us.

_**BZZZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

Huh? Was that, from my diary? That was a static, right? Yuno hurriedly stood up from my lap, and approached the monitor. My vision is too blurry to see what's happening in the monitor. "What's wrong?" I asked her as she presses some buttons in the console. "It's nothing, Toshii. I'll take care of it." Yuno replied as she grabbed a syringe from her bag. Is that, a tranquilizer shot again? "Huh? Do you really need to inject that?" I asked her. "Yes. Bear with me, Toshii. I'll be back soon." She replied as she injects the chemical into my left arm. Slowly, my consciousness drifted away.

_Tsh. Did all of those drugs break you? Come on now. I'm pretty confident that you're still sane enough to save yourself. Heh. I do wonder. Can you bear to witness your friends to die in front of you?_

I slowly regained my consciousness. I slowly opened my eyes. In the corner of my eye, I could see something, or rather; someone tied up and was lying on the floor. Huh? Who is this person? Tsh. My vision is still blurry. As the ringing in my ears slowly vanished, the sudden screaming of pain startled me. What the hell?! I quickly shifted my gaze in front of me. To my surprise, Yuno stood in front of me, and was pointing a crossbow at someone. Where the hell did she got that crossbow?

Suddenly, something hit my leg. Hm? As my vision slowly cleared up, I quickly recognized this person who was hitting me with her bounded arm. To my utter surprise, it was Hinata. What the hell is she doing here?! How did they manage to find us?! I was about to shout her name when Hinata quickly gave me a signal not too. I'm pretty sure she doesn't want Yuno to hear us talking. "What the hell are you doing here? What happened?" I softly asked her. "You guys were missing for a week! Of course we would try to look for you guys! We're friends, after all! Wait. Now isn't the time! I'll unbind you! Save Kousaka!" Hinata softly exclaimed as she bites onto a key and opens the padlocks, thus allowing me to undo the straps.

I can't believe it. Now that my vision is back, I could clearly see what's happening in front of me. Yuno was aiming that crossbow on a downed Kousaka. A crossbow bolt was sticking out in his right leg. He quivered in fear and pain as he tried to move away from Yuno. "Oh? What happened to your confidence?! I thought you'll brilliantly save the day?! Come on! Unbind Toshii so that I could kill you!" Yuno angrily shouted in ecstasy. I managed to grab my diary without alerting Yuno. I quickly opened it and checked the entries.

**June 29 15:50 [Abandoned Hotel]**

_Kousaka, Ouji_

He was killed by the Second as he managed to save Akise, and Mao from their trap.

**June 29 16:05 [Abandoned Hotel]**

_Hino, Hinata_

She was killed by the Second as a crossbow bolt pierced her head.

**June 29 16:08 [Abandoned Hotel]**

_Akise, Aru_

He was killed by the Second as she stabs his heart with a crossbow bolt.

**June 29 16:12 [Abandoned Hotel]**

_Nonosaka, Mao_

She was swiftly killed by the Second with a crossbow bolt.

_Time to choose, landlord! Can you sacrifice the lives of your friends for this false peace?! Decide, landlord!_

Shit, shit, shit, shit! This is bad! It's already 1546pm! I have to do something, or Yuno will kill everyone! Damn it! Damn it! What can I do?! I have to stop her! "Please, Nohiru-kun! Save him!" Hinata whispered in despair as Yuno loads the crossbow with another bolt. Fuck it! I took a deep breath and placed my phone beside Hinata. "Drop that, Yuno." I ordered Yuno as I slowly approached her. "Toshii?! How?!" Yuno shockingly murmured as she tilts her head towards me. "I'm sorry." I softly whispered to her.

**SLAP!**

I could feel my palm pulsating as my slap shook Yuno. She drops the crossbow as her eyes widen in fear and regret. "Toshii? Why?" Yuno softly murmured. "I only accepted your preposition since I thought you'll leave them out of this. I thought we could spare them from any danger that we might encounter. I couldn't believe that danger is you, Yuno." I stated as I kicked the crossbow away from us.

_**BZZZZZZT!**_

Another static?! I quickly ran to Hinata and grabbed my phone. I hurriedly opened it and checked the new entry.

**June 29 16:28 [Abandoned Hotel]**

_Gasai, Yuno_

After the First leaves her with his friends, she was ambushed by three diary owners. Distraught from what happened earlier, she didn't fight back. She dies in their hands.

**DEAD END**

Tsh. Well, that's it for our short and peaceful life. "We better get going. There are 3 diary owners heading towards our location. In my current condition, I wouldn't last against them." I stated to Hinata and Kousaka as I undo Hinata's binding. I ignored the weeping Yuno as I approached the downed Kousaka. "Hold still. I'll take it out. Hinata-san. Please ready a bandage of sorts. You could tear some of my used clothing." I stated as I tend to Kousaka's injury. "Uh. Sure!" Hinata said as she quickly stood up and picked up one of my used clothing. "We don't have any choice. We have to use this for now. Bear with us, Kousaka." I stated as I slowly grabbed onto the bolt. With one quick pull, I managed to get the bolt of his leg. Kousaka shouted and grunted in pain as me and Hinata wrapped his injury with a torn portion of my clothing.

After tending Kousaka, I slowly turned my head and looked at Yuno. She didn't move an inch after I slapped her. She's probably really disoriented right now. "Hinata-san. Can you bring Kousaka out of here? Meet up with Akise and Mao, and run away from this area as soon as possible." I asked Hinata as I opened the metal door for them. "What are you saying, Nohiru-kun?! Come with us!" Hinata shouted as Kousaka leans onto her for support. "I can't. I am bounded to this woman. I am responsible for letting her do these things. I have to deal with her." I replied as I walked towards our duffle bags. I began fixing our things, and placing them inside the bags. "Stop this nonsense, Nohiru-kun! We hav-"

_Go! Now!_

Hinata froze after I shouted at her. I looked back at her and gave her an assuring nod. "Thank you. I'm sorry, but, I can't let you guys die in this death game. I promise we'll be reunited soon." I stated as I continued fixing our things. "You better be! You have to! We're friends, after all!" Hinata shouted as she leaves the room with Kousaka. After hurriedly fixing our things, I turn my attention to Yuno.

_The woman that you love the most, is your biggest threat in this game. Do yourself a favour, and kill her here, landlord._

_Tsh. Shut it, you bloody deviant._

"Hey. I'm sorry if I slapped you quite hard. I had to bring you back to your senses. I know you were just trying to keep me safe and all, but you don't have to that. You don't hurt our friends, Yuno." I stated as I gently held on to Yuno's shaking hand. Yuno couldn't reply. She's completely lost for words. "I'm really disappointed, Yuno. Please. Don't do that again." I calmly stated as I bring her closer and hugged her tightly. In that moment, a sudden gush of tears flowed from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Toshii! I'm sorry! I just want to make sure that we'll reach that day! I just-" "Shh. I get it. Don't worry. I'm responsible too." I said as I placed my finger on top of her shaking lips.

I wiped the tears from her eyes. As Yuno slowly calmed down, I glanced over my dirty watch. It's already 1618pm. Thanks to those drugs that Yuno injected into my body, I'm pretty sure we'll die here if we decide to fight our attackers. It's best if we retreat for now. We hurriedly put on our clothes. As we were about to leave, my body's strength suddenly vanished. I quickly leaned against the wall to resist the urge of crashing down onto the floor. "Toshii!" Yuno shouted as she quickly rushed to my side. "Tsh. I blame this on you, though. Help me out." I stated with a chuckle as Yuno quickly wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

We managed to escape our ambushers. I don't know how, but we managed to sneak our way and escape the hotel. After a long travel, we managed to reach Yuno's home safely. To my surprise, my black sedan was parked in front of their gate. As we slowly made our way towards the gate, a young man went out of my black sedan. Shit. It's Mist. "Oy. Where were you?" Mist asked as he walks towards us with a serious look on his face. "I had a vacation with her. I'm sor-"

_Ugh!_

A sudden right uppercut landed onto my stomach. I kneeled down in pain as Yuno rushed towards my side. "You bastard!" Yuno furiously shouted at Mist as she was about to attack him. "No. Yuno. Don't." I weakly ordered her as I grabbed onto her wrist. "Is this the girlfriend that you were speaking of? Geez. What a lousy one. Look at you. You look like shit. Is this how she takes care of his boyfriend?" Mist asked me as he drags me towards the black sedan. "Toshii!" Yuno shouted in annoyance since she couldn't do anything against my order. "Let him, Yuno. I'll be fine. Please. Get inside." I ordered her as Mist pushes me inside the car.

Yuno was forced to follow my order since she didn't want to do anything to upset me again. As she enters her home with a defeated look in her face, Mist begins to drive away from her home. "Who the fuck do you think I am? Am I your bloody caretaker?" Mist angrily asked me as he stared at rear view mirror. "Sorry. I didn't know that she would pull a stunt like that." I weakly replied. "I did some research about that girl since your silver-haired friend asked me some information." He stated his angry tone slowly vanished. "Akise?" I weakly asked him. "Yep. That's the one. He made me look over some things. Do me a favor, will you Toshiro? Stay the fuck away from that girl. She's too dangerous for you." He coldly stated. "What the hell are you talking about? I've been through worse. You know that. She needs me, Mist. I can't leave her side." I weakly replied as I try to shake off my dizziness.

_Trust me. You'll regret saying those words after seeing what I managed to dug up._


	14. Chapter 14 - Vision

_Trust me. You'll regret saying those words after seeing what I managed to dig up._

After a short drive from Yuno's place, we finally arrived at the dark alleyway near my condominium. After alighting from my black sedan, I followed Mist closely through the alleyway. This alley is too dark. I wish the government could add some lightning here. After a brief walk through the alley, Mist stopped on his tracks. In front of us was a rusty, metal door. "Hurry up. My knees are giving up on me." I ordered Mist as I struggled to keep my body from crashing down. Tsh. Those chemicals that Yuno injected into me were pretty strong. My whole body is severely weakened thanks to those things.

**CLANK!**

After Mist opens the metal door, we went into his office. As usual, his office is dusty and pretty crowded with clutter. His office is fairly small. It's large enough for a desk, two chairs, and 6 large file cabinets. "Geez. Clean the place up. There might be an unknown virus in here." I commented as I sat down on the chair in front of his dusty, wooden desk. "Tsh. I don't have the time for that." Mist replied as he lights up a cigarette and proceeds to smoke in front of me. "So, what did you managed to dig up?" I asked him as the strong smell of tobacco enters my nose. "Oh. Right. I'll get it." He replied as he quickly turns around and opens a nearby file cabinet. I can't help to notice how organized he is when it comes to his files.

After a few minutes of searching, Mist brings out open from his file cabinet. "Here. You better read it." Mist stated as he gives me the file. I opened the folder and scanned the contents of Mist's research about Yuno. Hm. It says here that police investigated her home while we were cooped up in that abandoned hotel. They dug up the massive hole at the back of her home and found 3 skeletal corpses buried there. 2 of those corpses didn't have their skull attached to their body. I do remember seeing two skulls in that room. I'm pretty sure those are connected to each other. "Those bodies, are they bigger than the other one?" I asked Mist as I continue to scan through the data. "Yup. I'm pretty sure those bodies are her family or sorts. Maybe her relatives? I'm not sure." Mist replied as he continues to smoke his cigarette.

Something caught my attention as I scanned through the data. It says here that Yuno's adopted. Huh? Her foster father is a known banker, while her foster mother stepped down for her accountancy role to take care of her. Records only kept tabs on her till she was 10 years old, which is probably 4 or 5 years ago.

Hm. My intuition is telling me that those bodies are Yuno's family. The two adult corpses are possibly her parents. The other might be her sister or brother. "What happened to the third body?" I asked Mist as I closed the folder and place it on top of his desk. "The police took it to the morgue. They'll further investigate about it under Nishijima, Masumi." Mist replied as he puffs out a smoke towards my face. "Tsh. Quit it." I stated as I waved the smoke away from my face. "No. You quit it. Stop seeing the girl. She's too dangerous for you own good." He stated as he extinguishes his cigarette on top of his ash tray. After hearing his words, a sudden feeling of annoyance clouded my thoughts. He doesn't know anything about Yuno personally. He doesn't know how much Yuno needs me and how much I need her.

"Why, Mist? Why can't I be with that girl?" I asked Mist as I try my best to control my emotions. "First, she's practically insane. Don't even think that I didn't notice that. Based on what happened to you, I could really say she's too dangerous for you. Second, you don't need her. She'll probably bring back same memories that we tried bury." Mist coldly stated as he stared at me with his dark, grey pupils. "Heh. I can handle it. You didn't mentor me for a year for nothing. Besides, she needs me, and I need her." I calmly stated to Mist.

_Don't push your luck, Toshiro. I'll bet everything I have that she will eventually kill you._

My eyes widen after hearing those words from Mist. Did he really say that? Wait. He's aware of the survival game?! "Heh. Don't worry. I don't know anything about this survival game of yours. I'm too busy to look into it." Mist stated as he gave me an assuring smile. "How? Who told you that?!" I frantically asked him with a shocked tone in my voice. "Your silver-haired friend did. We had a deal. An information, for an information. I told him what I managed to research about that girl, in return, he told me about this whole survival game that you guys are in." He stated as he picks up Yuno's folder and places it back to its file cabinet.

Suddenly, an idea sprang up in my mind. I could let Mist help me out. With his help, I could find the remaining diary owners!

"Uh, Mist. Are you busy at the moment?" I asked Mist as I stood up from my seat and looked around his office. "Pretty much. I have a lot to do. Why?" Mist quickly replied as he stared at me with a bored look on his face. Tsh. I don't want to be a bother to him. He already gave me so much. I don't want to bring harm to him also. "Nothing, really. About our discussion earlier, I'll think about it. Don't worry. I won't let you down." I stated as I gave him a reaffirming smile. "Tsh. Don't go sweet on me. You know where the door is at." He coldly replied as he starts to fix his papers. "Heh. Alright then. Later." He said as I waved him goodbye and exited his office.

4 days quickly passed like a blur. I still haven't recovered from Yuno's outrage last week. I still feel weak and at times, my body would suddenly shiver like crazy. I forgot how many doses she injected into me. Were those really just tranquilizers and aphrodisiac? Also, Deus called me up for a private talk. He mentioned that EIGHT has the power that bestows the power of a future diary to other people. That's a weird ability if you ask me. Are those people actually count as diary owners? Do they share the same fate with us? Tsh. I have to know.

Does Yuno, really love me? I really don't get her actions. Did she do all of those things because she really wants to protect me, or is she that fixated at that happy ending of hers? What a troublesome girl. What I do know, is that I love her and I want to help her. I want to give her a normal life. I'm pretty sure she's been through bad times. I want to do something about that and help her be normal again. Hopefully, I can do it.

Ah, crap. I'll be late for school! I quickly opened my bedroom door and dashed towards the kitchen. As I was about to put on my shoes, a sudden delicious aroma filled my nose. To my surprise, there are two packed sandwiches on top of the dining table. I quickly approached the packed meals with a hungry look on my face. Oh, I remember. I was caught in my thoughts earlier than I forgot to eat my breakfast. Who made this though? As I pick one of the sandwiches up, I noticed a note below it.

_I hope you'll like it! Geez! Stop thinking too much! Also, stop skipping meals! Anyway, I'll see you in school! If not, I'll just go to your place later! See you! I love you, Toshii!_

Yuno. How did she manage to sneak inside of my unit? I don't know how, but I didn't notice her presence. Damn. I'm getting soft. I quickly unwrapped the plastic covering of the sandwich that I was holding and took a bite out of it. A pleasant and flavourful taste filled my mouth. "Delicious." I murmured as I took another bite. Wait. She made a seafood sandwich? Wow. She really knows my favourite meals. Wait. Crap! I'm so late for the first class! I quickly placed the other sandwich inside my brown bag and ran outside of my unit. After locking the door, I hurriedly ran towards the elevators.

After running like there's no tomorrow, I manage to arrive at school before the first bell. As I put on my indoor shoes, a sudden feeling of exhaustion and nausea entered my mind. Shit. It feels like I want to throw up. My body leaned onto the lockers as my strength was slowly sapped out of my body. Fuck. This is another side-effect from Yuno's outburst. Thanks to those chemicals, I can't do any physical activity in a prolonged time. I tried jogging two days ago, which resulted into this scenario. After taking some deep breathes, my body slowly calmed down. I better take the day off. I don't feel like going to class anymore.

I managed to sneak my way into storage room of the gym. The teachers were too busy talking and discussing their feats in their job that they didn't noticed me. I laid myself down on top of a blue cushion as I stared blankly at the ceiling. Somehow, I really feel empty. It feels like there's something missing. Is it Yuno's presence? Perhaps. Wait a minute. I remember something. It was Yuno's entry during the day when we left the abandoned hotel. If my memory serves me correct, I could remember that she supposed to be killed by three diary owners. Tsh. This is bad. I don't fully know what happened during that time. I have to ask Akise and others.

After some minutes after sending my mail to Akise, a sudden knock on the door surprised me. Akise, Hinata, Mao, and Kousaka entered the room silently. "You guys.." I murmured with a surprised look on my face. I really didn't expect that they'll still help after what happened last week. I really thought that they'll cast me aside and avoid me. "Hey, Toshiro-kun. I brought them along." Akise stated as he smiled at me. "What's this all about, Nohiru-kun?" Hinata asked me as she sat down in front of me.

I gave my friends a brief explanation for Yuno's actions last week. I also mentioned about the private meeting I had with Deus. Akise mentioned about Kousaka's diary too. "So, Gasai did all of those things to protect you? That's just crazy!" Hinata commented after hearing my explanation. "Well, Gasai-san is pretty unique in her ways." Akise commented. "Anyway, is your leg okay now, Kousaka?" I asked Kousaka as I stared at his bandaged right leg. "Pretty much. There's a slight pain whenever I move, but the brilliant Kousaka is too strong for this injury!" Kousaka proudly exclaimed.

"Speaking of brilliant, can I borrow your diary Kousaka?" I asked Kousaka. "Sure thing! Be careful with it though, since it's my super diary!" Kousaka proudly stated as he hands me his phone. Woah. I didn't notice before that we have the same model. "So, you became a diary owner thanks to this blog site where you input some entries?" I asked him as I inspect his diary. "Yeah! They also rate your entries! You wouldn't get promoted if your entries are lame! Also, Future Diaries are their owner's future. If that's broken, my life will-"

**CRASH!**

Kousaka screamed in anguish as I threw his phone on the floor. The impact broke his phone instantly. "I don't want to die!" Kousaka frantically shouted as he starts rolling on the floor in fearful manner. Hm. Strange. By now, there should be a vortex that would suck him in. "So that's how it is." Akise stated as he looks at the panicking Kousaka. "It's just like what you told me earlier. There's a possibility that Eighth's diary is a server of some sorts." I stated as I place my phone beside me. "How long are you going to do that?" Hinata asked the panicking Kousaka as Mao starts to take picture of him.

"Eighth has the ability to make more diary owners, but there's only one real Future Diary. It's the server hosting the rental blog. The client phones are only terminals. Therefore, there's no problem if the cellphones break." Akise explained to the troubled Kousaka and to the curious Mao. "Even so, don't break it! I can't predict my brilliant futures anymore!" Kousaka angrily replied as he tried to salvage his broken phone. "If we'd left it as it was, we'd have been feeding information to the enemy." Akise calmly retorted back. Wait. Does that mean that Kousaka lead those sub-owners to our location? "Then at least give me a chance to save the memory first!" Kousaka tearfully replied which made Akise chuckle.

Now, what do I do? I can't fully rely on Yuno anymore. If I blindly let her do what she wants, that might lead to our deaths. We need help, and these people in front of me are the only ones I can ask. If they'll help us, I'll put my life on the line to protect them. After all, they're my only friends.

"Guys, can I ask all of you to help me?" I nervously asked my friends who were looking at me. "What is it, Toshiro-kun?" Akise asked me with a smile on his face. "Uh. It's about the survival game. I pretty sure you guys have seen how unstable Yuno is. I want to protect her, and save her, but I can't do it alone. I-" "Anyway, the question now is how do we fight off this enemy. We can ask Nishijima-san to help with security." Akise stated as he cut me off. Huh? "We need to decide where to hide Toshiro." Hinata stated with a determined look on her face. Wait. Did she just mention me by my first name?! "I heard that Kousaka-kun's place is pretty big!" Mao commented. "Alright. That settles it then. Any complains, Toshiro-kun?" Akise asked me as he ignored Kousaka's complaints.

I'm too surprised to respond. What are they saying? Are they really that determined to put their lives on the line just to help me? "Why? Why are you guys so determined to help me? I'm pretty sure you guys know this game is dangerous! Why?!" I asked them with a surprised look on my face. "Isn't it obvious? You're our friend." Akise replied with a warm smile. A sudden feeling of warmth burst inside my chest. I can feel my tears falling as I try my best to stop myself from smiling.

After discussing our plan, I waved my friends goodbye and left the school early. Three days from now, they'll bring me to Kousaka's house to hide from our attackers. The thing is I have to ensure Yuno doesn't make another outburst there. They really don't trust Yuno. Based on what happened last week, I don't really blame them. I really hope the plan works. Anyway, I need to rest. I'll just take it easy. After arriving back at my unit, I sat down on the sofa and stared blankly at the ceiling. Pft. Yuno. What will I do to you?

_Somehow, I'm really afraid. I'm afraid that I couldn't help Yuno. I'm afraid that I'm not the man that she really needs. I'm afraid that I can't protect her. Even so, I mustn't waver. Our lives depend on our trust on each other. I can't let her down. Besides, I have to prove Shaco wrong._

_I will save her._

**BZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!**

Hm? My eyes are so heavy. What time is it? I slowly reached for my phone which was on top of the nightstand. As I opened it, my phone's screen light blinded my eyes. Crap. Now I'm dizzy. I shrugged off my dizziness and checked my phone. It's only 0645am in the morning. Hm. Today's the day huh. Three days quickly passed, and today, I will gamble life to protect my friends and Yuno. I'm pretty sure my body is at 85% by now. Hopefully, I can manage. Anyway, I better check my diary. I'm sure that those were our entries earlier.

**July 5 17:50 [Kousaka Residence]**

_Nohiru, Toshiro_

An explosion detonated near him. The intense heat scorched his body. He died due to severe burns.

He lost against their attackers. They broke his back. A debris crushed him as he desperately tried to crawl his way out.

**DEAD END**

**July 5 17:55 [Kousaka Residence]**

_Gasai, Yuno_

She tried to pull First out of the burning house. A debris crushed her body.

A throwing knife pierced her head. She died due to heavy blood lost.

**DEAD END**

Give me a fucking break. These entries are too intense. Are our attackers that good? Tsh. I can't let my guard down. I must not hesitate. I have to protect them. I have to protect her. I will not anyone take us down. I will kill who ever stand against us.

_My, my. You're starting to sound like me, landlord._

At noon, I met up with Akise, Hinata, and Mao. I only brought my trench knife with me since my throwing knives are pretty dull and I didn't have the time to sharpen them. This knife alone will do. We waited at the bus stop for Kousaka. Eventually, a black sedan arrived and picked us up. To my surprise, it was Nishijima-san who was driving the sedan. As we sat tensely in the car, we talked about our plan. First, they'll hide me at Kousaka's house and the police will watch the surrounding area. Second, we'll lure the attackers towards Kousaka's house. Before they'll let me engage them, Akise and Kousaka will disable the cellphone antenna tower, which will disable their diaries. With that off, they'll lose their ability to fight against us. Not to mention, the police will back me up.

As we arrived at Kousaka's house, we went straight to the third floor balcony. I placed my trench knife on top of the drawer by the stairs. I'll just get it here before I'll engage our adversary. From up here, we could see the entire front lawn of the Kousaka household lot. We can anticipate and watch for our attackers here. "Oh, I almost forgot. That antenna can be turned off with this remote controller." Akise stated as he points at a nearby black switchbox. "What if it didn't work?" I asked him as I kept on looking around the vicinity. Where the hell is Yuno? "That leaves me and Kousaka to go to the tower and manually turn it off." He replied. After scouting the lot, I gave out a huge sigh. "Alright. Let's do this." I stated with confidence in my voice as my friends smile at me.

Time quickly flew by. It's already 1700pm. It's just a matter of time before our attackers arrive. Not to mention, I still haven't seen Yuno anywhere. Where is that girl when you need her?

_This Team A to HQ. Confirmed entry of three targets._

"Here goes." I mumbled to myself as I could feel my body getting tense. "We have to draw them in even further. They wouldn't be affected if we turn off the tower now." Akise calmly stated. "Kousaka, Mao, Hinata, Akise. If worse comes to worse, I want you guys to bail out. I'll handle this." I ordered them as I could see Hinata and Mao shaking. "But…" "No buts. I don't want my friends to get hurt. I'll do everything I can to ensure your safeties." I stated as I gave them an assuring smile.

**SHZZZT!**

A sudden noise coming from inside the house startled us. "A blackout?!" Mao shouted in shock as the lights were suddenly cut off. "Toshiro-kun! The switch! Hit the switch!" Akise quickly ordered me. "Got it!" I shouted as I hurriedly flicked the switch. Did it work? "Oy, Toshiro! I'm still getting a full signal!" Kousaka tensely stated as he checks his phone. "Damn. The blackout disabled the remote, too. Did they figure out our plan?" Akise stated as he tries to calm down Kousaka and Mao. Shit. This is bad. How did they figure it out?! There's no way they could have got some information about our plan! We're the only ones that know about this plan!

Wait. How could I forget her diary's ability?

A pinked haired girl gleefully walked in the courtyard. There's no way I could mistake that girl for another person. Wait a minute. Is that my trench knife?! Damn it. Leaving my trench knife on top of that drawer was a bad idea. "Yuno! Why did you cut off the power?!" I shouted at the pink haired girl, who merrily turns around with a smile on her face.

_I found you, Toshii! I'm here to help you out, Toshii!_

_Toshii saw me! Toshii saw me! Toshii saw me!_

A sudden feeling of shock and annoyance filled my chest. Damn it. Yuno foiled our plan. Shit! We have to go for plan B! Tsh! How stupid of me! I should have let Yuno know our plan from the first place! Now, she's acting on her own! Fuck! Way to go, Toshiro!

_Look at me, Toshii! I'll protect you, Toshii!_

Is it me or she's a bit too clingy today? This isn't normal. I'm already used on how clingy she is with me, but right now, it's in another level. "Yuno! Come up here!" I shouted at Yuno who merrily went back inside. "I'll leave you to deal with her, Toshiro-kun. Kousaka-kun and I will go to the antenna to cut off the signal. I'm sorry, but I need you to make sure she won't get in our way." Akise stated as he left the balcony with Kousaka.

As Yuno arrived at the balcony, I quickly took my trench knife from her hand and bound her wrists with a rope. "Huh? Toshii? Why did you tie me up?" Yuno asked me with a surprised look on her face. "It's an assurance of sorts." I replied as I tried to give her a fake smile. Of course, that's a lie. To be honest, I'm scared that I wouldn't be able to control her actions. Not to mention, Hinata and Mao is absolutely terrified by Yuno's presence. After a few minutes of waiting, we decided to go back inside of the house. "Toshii. Why did you tie me up?" Yuno asked me once more as she follows me closely. Before I could answer, a sudden noise caught our attention.

**CRASH!**

What?! The main door was forcefully opened as two policemen crashed inwards of the room, and one of them was Nishijima. "Oy! Nishijima-san! Are you okay?!" I shouted as I tried to go down the stair, but I was stopped by Hinata. From up here, I could say he's in a bad condition. I have to help them somehow!

_My, my. There he is, Marco. The one up there is Toshiro-kun._

_Oh? He looks a bit scrawny. Are you sure he was the one carried the title Thantos, before?_

Two people entered the entrance hall. A man and a woman, who were clad in white clothing, gazed at us as they banter some petty comments about my appearance. The man sports a long, brown hair, and from his appearance, is pretty buff, while the woman sports a short, purple hair. Somehow, these guys look too familiar to me. Not to mention, they look like they're just some push-overs. Shit. I can't underestimate them.

Nishijima desperately tried to fend them off, but a strong right counter knocked him unconscious. After the man knocked our police ally out, he proceeded to celebrate his strong counter. "Heh. I love riding the thin line between danger and chance!" The man stated as he gave out some jabs to the air. "You are such a maniac for counters." The woman commented with a sigh.

"Oy! First! Did the made you piss your pants?!" The man shouted as he gave me a taunting smile. "Heh. Not at all! That looked pretty weak!" I shouted back at him as I gave him a taunting smile of my own. "You sure talk big! Let me give you an advantage. My diary can predict the next move my opponent will do in a fight! It tells me when I'll hit them with a cross-counter! I call it, THE ALWAYS WIN, NEVER LOSE A FIGHT DIARY!" He shouted proudly as he shows off his phone. "What? That's a lame ass name." I commented as I taunted our attackers once again.

Heh. If I fight him now, his diary would counter my moves. We have to wait for Akise to shut down the tower. We have to buy some time!

"Hinata-san! Mao-san! Yuno! Go!" I shouted as I bring out my knife. Hinata and Mao quickly dashed towards the hallway. "Toshii! Cut the rope! Let me fight too!" Yuno shouted as she tries to desperately convince me. "Not yet! I'll stall them! Follow Hinata's lead!" I ordered her as the two assassins dashed towards the stairs. Before I could even move, Yuno quickly grabbed on to my arm and dragged me towards the hall.

We headed straight for the attic. Fortunately, Hinata and Mao managed to open the attic door easily. "You guys go up first!" Hinata shouted as she gives me a slight push. "What?! Oy! What are you doing?!" I shouted back at her as I try to convince her to go ahead. Before I could force Hinata and Mao to go first, Yuno grabbed onto me and pulled me upwards. I have no choice but to climb the ladder first.

Midway of our climb, I heard their footsteps closing in our location. Shit! They're here! As I was about to jump off from the ladder, Hinata suddenly gave me a stern look. "We'll stop them here!" Hinata shouted as she ran off towards our assassins. The woman quickly pulled out some throwing knives and flung them towards us. I could only watch as Hinata and Mao were struck down by the knives. I could feel my anger slowly boiling inside of me. Their names didn't appear in my diary earlier. Even so, I'll make these bastards pay for hurting them! Before I could do anything against our attackers, Yuno pulled me upwards and into the attic. She quickly locks the attic door and pushes me against the wall.

"Yuno! Why did you lock the door?! We have to go back and help Hinata-san and Mao-san!" I shouted at Yuno as I tried to catch my breath. "It doesn't matter. It's fine as long as Toshii and I are safe." Yuno coldly stated. Damn it! She's too fixated in protecting me that she doesn't give a damn about our friends! "Toshii. Untie me." She stated as she brings her bounded wrist closer to me. I was about to shout at her for being too damn selfish, but her sudden solemn look surprised me. She looks like she's in great pain. She's probably thinking that I'm actually hesitating to let her fight with me. Tsh. I'm not sure anymore. If she goes berserk again, can I control her?

"I know. Please. Give me a moment." I stated as I sat down on the floor. I still haven't heard a word from Akise. Should we fight them now? We're at a disadvantage at the moment since that guy's diary ability. We have to hold them off. Damn it. Stop hesitating, Toshiro!

**CLANG!**

The attic's door was busted open. "Okay. That's as far as you go." Our male assailant stated as he climbs up from the ladder. His lady accomplice followed shortly. "It looks like you guys are cornered. My diary tells me who I will flirt with in the future. It lets me see your current location without any flaw. I call it, the FLIRTING DIARY." The woman stated as she brings out her knives. Fuck. Before I could unbind Yuno, I have to check if their diaries have any weakness! I can't let Yuno fight without fully knowing our advantages and disadvantages!

Within a split second, I dashed towards our attackers. I tried to slash him with my trench knife, but he neatly evaded my attack. "Didn't you hear me earlier? I can counter your attacks! Like this!" The man shouted as he countered my attack with a solid right straight on my jaw. I felt the tremendous impact coursing through my body. I quickly took a step back. Fuck. That was painful. I spat some blood from my mouth. "You're pretty good." I commented as I prepare myself for my next attack. "Are you retarded? You can't land a punch on me! Don't even try!" The man shouted as he taunts me once again.

"We'll see about that!" I shouted at him as I charged into the fray once again. My slashes aren't connecting! He's just neatly evading my attacks! If that's the case, I just have to lure him in! "Gotcha!" The man shouted as he grabs on to my left arm. As he was about to deliver a strong straight to my face, I swiftly countered his cross-counter. I gave him a strong right roundhouse kick that made him flinched. This is my chance!

Before I could even move a muscle, a throwing knife pierced my right arm. In that second, our male assailant quickly landed another strong right straight that made me stumble backwards. "Woah there. You almost got me." The man stated as he shakes off the pain from my kick. "You were wide open. I might as well take the chance." The woman stated as she gives out a giggle. Fuck. I'm in a disadvantage here. I have no choice but to free Yuno. I quickly took a step back away from them. "Toshii!" Yuno shouted as tries to tend to my wound. "They're pretty good. Well, it's a 2v1. Shall we make it a 2v2?" I asked her as I free her from her restraints.

_Toshiro-kun? Toshiro-kun! We did it! _

That voice from my transceiver! That was Akise! Finally! "Wait! What the hell happened to our diaries?!" The man shouted with a shocked tone in his voice. Heh. This is it! This is our chance! I shrugged off the pain from the man's cross-counter earlier and stretched me arms. "Toshii, are you sure you're okay?" Yuno asked me as tends my wound. "I think so. My body is responding well to my orders. I think I can manage." I replied as I hand her my trench knife. "You can manage, huh." She murmured as she takes my knife from my hand. Hm. Is Yuno aware of my current condition right now? Well, she has the Toshiro Diary after all. "Don't worry! I can fight with my fists!" I stated as I gave her a reassuring smile.

_It looks like we have to use our own diaries, Maru._

_It seems that way, Ai._

To our surprise, our assailants threw their phones away. They started to laugh hysterically at us. "You guys really bought it, didn't you?! Did you really think that we're just some sub-diary owners?!" The man shouted at me as he continues to laugh at us. "What?! What the hell is the meaning of this?!" I shouted as our current situation starts to confuse me. In reply, the two brought out a pair of black phones. The man brings out a comb and styled his long brown hair into a pompadour.

"Allow me to introduce myself! I'm the SEVENTH, Ikusaba, Marco." The man stated as he introduces himself to us. "I'm also the SEVENTH, Mikami, Ai." The woman quickly followed up. What?! Two different people but they share the same diary?! What the fuck is this?! "We are the proud owners of the EXCHANGE DIARY!" They both shouted as they posed in front of us. "Heh. What a catch. 2 real diary owners managed to corner us. Shall we give them some beating, Yuno?" I asked Yuno as I cracked my knuckles and looked at our assailants intently. "Sure thing, Toshii. That's why I love you. We're always in sync!" Yuno stated with a smile on her face. In sync? What the hell is she talking about?

"Oh? You guys want to have a match with us?" Marco asked as we cautiously approached the two. To our surprise, the two started making out in front of us. We can't help but to feel flustered as we watch our assailants.

"Hey, First. Do you believe in the power of love? Heh. My diary is a diary of love that tells me all about Ai, so I can always protect her." Marco proudly stated as he grabs on to Ai's hip. "And my diary is a diary of love that tells me all about Marco, so I can always protect him." Ai followed up as she grabs on to Marco's hip. "So you're telling us you two stalk each other?" I asked them as I butt in their explanation. "What?! No way! Our Exchange Diary is a pair for a loving couple!" Marco angrily replied. "You kids are too young to understand our love!" Ai angrily shouted at us.

"Geez. What a sore sight." I mumbled as I readied my stance. "I'll protect you, Toshii." Yuno lovingly stated as she gives me a reassuring smile of her own and stood beside me. "Heh. I'll be counting on you." I commented as I prepare myself to strike. This is it. We have to take these two down. No more hesitation.

"Let's see if you can dodge this!" Ai shouted as she threw a throwing knife towards us. I was about to dodge it when Yuno quickly deflected it with my knife. "I won't let you kill Toshii." Yuno coldly stated at our attackers. I can't help but to be in awe at my girlfriend's ability. "Amazing. You have to teach me that later, Yuno." I commented as I can't help but to smile at her. Her cheeks slowly turned red as she noticed my praise. "Then how about two at once?!" Ai shouted once again as she threw two knives at us. In a blink of an eye, Yuno effortlessly deflected them too.

Our two assailants are stunned. Even I was stunned from Yuno's insane ability. Before Ai could throw another barrage at us, I quickly closed in and engaged with Marco. I flung my right fist towards him. He quickly blocked it and countered my attack with a right hook of his own. Luckily, I managed to block it. I gave him a strong push kick on his stomach, and went in for a couple of jabs. I managed to land some, but then, he countered with a fake straight, which left me wide open for a strong left hook to my body.

**UGH!**

The impact stunned me for a second. I quickly predicted his next move. Since he's using an orthodox stance, he'll probably go for a right straight to my temple. Tsh. I have no time to evade it! I stood my ground and threw a wild right hook towards his head. He landed his killer straight on my left cheek, while I managed to land my hook on his temple. We both stumbled back as the impact from our punches stunned us.

"Marco!" Ai shouted as she tends my opponent. "Toshii! Are you okay?!" Yuno tensely asked me as she checks my wounds. Somehow, this feels like a boxing match. "Heh. I'm fine. I can keep going." I replied as I shrugged off the pain. "Heh. You can land some nasty blows, First! It makes me want to go for some more!" Marco stated in excitement as he shrugs of the pain from my blows. To my surprise, I could feel something aching in my body. It's like my chest is on fire. Oh no. Don't tell me this is another withdrawal from those chemicals! Though my body is starting to act against me, I did my best to stand against Marco. I can't let them notice that I'm actually in a lot pain right now.

Ai quickly noticed that I was struggling to keep my composure, and threw another knife towards me. Again, Yuno neatly deflected it. "Seriously? You sure a show off, Yuno." I commented at Yuno's action with a sarcastic tone in my voice. Ai got agitated and started another barrage at us.

_He praised me! He praised me! He praised me! _

_Toshii praised me!_

Yuno neatly deflected all of the knives. Is she even human? How can she do that feat? The hell, I'm nowhere near at her level. Her skill is too insane! "Maru, I'm out of knives." Ai stated as Yuno slowly approached them. This is it! We could end this now! "Tsh! You leave us with no choice! Time to do it, Ai!" Marco shouted as he readied his stance. Will they gang up on Yuno?! Shit! I have to protect her! "Yuno!" I shouted as I quickly ran in front of Yuno. To our surprise, Marco and Ai jumped down from the attic. Did they just, run away from us?

"Tsh. We got some runners." I stated as I clenched my arm wound. "Are you okay, Toshii? Did she manage to land a knife on you?" Yuno asked me as she tends my wounded arm. "None at all. You were too good. You're even better than me!" I stated as I praised Yuno, which made her blush hard. "Really, Toshii? I'm happy to hear that!" She stated with a big smile on her face. She didn't notice that I'm having a hard time right now. I have to keep her focused. "Come on. We have to chase them." I stated as I tried my best to give Yuno a smile of my own. Damn. This is harder than I thought.

We quickly went down from the attic. As we ran towards the entrance hall, a nearby explosion caught our attention. "Shit. They have bombs!" I shouted as I was caught off guard. Did those two placed those bombs inside?! Wait. I remember! There's another one! We only focused on Marco and Ai, that I forgot about their other accomplice! Tsh. We have no time for this! I quickly pulled my phone out and checked my diary. We still haven't avoided our Dead Ends. We have to do something! I won't let them kill Yuno!

_Well, isn't this a magnificent sight? My landlord is actually burning in determination. Heh. You better entertain me, alright?_

I have to do something! I have to make sure we will survive through this! Since Ai ran out of knives, Yuno only has one possible scenario! We can't let our guard down though. We have to keep focused! "Yuno! Don't do anything risky! Please!" I shouted as I followed Yuno closely. "Don't worry, Toshii! It's promise! You have to give me a reward though!" Yuno merrily replied as gives me a reassuring smile.

We finally reached the entrance hall. Shit. The entire hall is in ablaze. It's only a matter of minutes before this whole place will be burned down. Only 5 minutes to go till our Dead Ends.

_I'll put it on the test! Show me the power of your love!_

In front of us, was Marco and Ai. They started to sprint towards us. "Yuno! Take care of Ai! I'll deal with Marco!" I ordered Yuno as we did the same. To our surprise, Ai threw two knives at us. Though she was caught surprised, Yuno managed to deflect her attack. Yuno and Ai went ahead and engaged with each other. The scorching flame prevented me and Marco from interfering.

Ai desperately fought back against Yuno. It wasn't a surprise that Yuno held the advantage against her. Yuno was swiftly evading Ai's attacks, and her slashes are a centimetre away from hitting Ai. Is this how Yuno fights when she gives it her 100% percent? She looks so different during the time we fought together back at Okemata Incident. Suddenly, Ai tripped on the carpet. Yuno quickly noticed this and tried to go for the kill. As Yuno quickly out maneuverer her stunned opponent, Marco suddenly enters the fray. He blocks Yuno's attack with his shoulder and quickly disarmed her.

Shit! This is bad! Yuno's wide open! I ignored the scorching blaze that blocked my path, and ran towards them. Ai sees this opportunity and quickly threw a knife towards Yuno's head. Fuck! Will I reach her in time?! With a sudden rush of adrenaline, I managed to push Yuno aside. Now I have to evade-

_Toshiii! Noooooo!_

Blood. What. What the hell. I'm sure I was able to use my hands to cover my face. Did I cover it in time? Wait a second. Why can't I see anything with my left eye? What…

_Aaaarrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!_

I kneeled down in pain as I clenched the left portion of my face. My whole body twitched severely as the knife slashed through the left side of my face. My left eye. I can't believe it. I lost my left eye. Blood started to spew out from the long and open wound. Damn it. It fucking hurts. It really does. Will I die from this?! I haven't heard a thing from my diary nor from Yuno's. Wait. Where the hell-

_Not bad, First._

I struggled to look upwards. Marco and Ai stood a few meters away from. Wait. Are those our diaries?! How did they manage to get those?! I slowly turned my head to Yuno's direction. Damn it. She looks bad. She's in a total shock. She's in to condition to fight any longer. Is this, how it will all end? I can feel my body running in my reserves. Thanks to these wound, I'm pretty sure I can't fight any longer. No. It can't be. We can't-

_How dare you do that to Toshiii?!_

Yuno! Yuno charges in towards the two. To my surprise, Marco quickly countered her attack with a solid straight. Yuno's body crashed down on the floor. I could only watch as she quivered in pain from Marco's punch. Damn it! Damn it all! Fuck this! I don't care if I die anymore! I won't let these two get away! I'll fucking kill them!

_Shaco!_

_Heh. Is it my turn now? Alright, landlord. I can't promise you anything since our body is pretty banged up already, but I'll do my best. I can't let anyone kill her expect us._

_I'll fucking kill youuuuuu!_

An unearthly rage filled my body. I slowly stood up and charged in. I desperately attacked Marco with my fist, and he effortlessly evaded all of it. "Finish it, Marco." Ai ordered Marco as she held our diaries. What the hell? Who do you think you are?! I'm Thanatos! I can't go down like this! You fucking bitch! I'll kill y-

**UGHH!**

A solid knee landed on my solar plexus. I felt the air inside my lungs being sucked out. Not yet! I have to-

**ARGH!**

_Sorry landlord, but we're done for._

A devastating right hook landed on my right cheek. Damn it. My vision is getting blurry. I'm losing consciousness. Even with Shaco's help, I'm losing against them. Am I that weak? Am I that powerless? Marco then grabs my collar and pulls me upward. "You're too feisty, First." Marco stated as he taunts me with his eyes. "I won't let you! I won't let you kill her!" I shouted as I used my last ounce of strength to try to gouge out his eye. To my surprise, a throwing knife pierced my hand. I shouted in pain as all of my strength disappeared in my body.

_You were hesitant. That's why you lost. Your love for her is weak. Even in that dramatic save earlier, you were hesitant. To be honest, it really feels like you're only using her as a shield!_

Huh? What did he say? I'm using Yuno as a shield? That I'm hesitant? Damn it. I can't help but to agree in his words. If I believed in Yuno at the first place, we could have killed them even before they could have cornered us. If I believed in her at the first place, she wouldn't be injured like that.

_It's my fault. I hesitated to believe in the girl who only wants to protect me. I am too weak to protect her. _

"That's right. I'm weak." I murmured. I slightly noticed Marco getting slowly agitated. "I couldn't protect her. I'm that weak. How could I call myself her lover, or, even a man-"

**UGH!**

Marco's fist landed on my face. I could feel the blood dripping down from my nostrils and from my wound. Heh. I'll bleed out to death. "That's what I hate the most, First! The feeling of being weak! If you want to beat us, then prove your love is stronger than ours! Find us and fight us once again! If you try to run away, we'll just break your diaries! If you can't fight, then die here!" Marco angrily shouted as he threw me downwards to first floor.

Everything was in slow motion.

I could feel the water from the sprinklers hitting my face. I could see Yuno painfully looking at me. I'm sorry Yuno. We failed, and it's my entire fault. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I then heard the sound of impact as my body landed on the carpeted ceramic tiles. My whole back ached in pain. My hands twitched as I tried to move my muscles. The rage inside of me slowly simmered down. I blankly stared at smoke-covered ceiling as my consciousness slowly faded away.

_Yuno.._


	15. Chapter 15 - Rest

Huh?

I slowly opened my eyes. Utter darkness surrounds me. Where the hell am I? Wait. That's odd. Why can't I see with my left eye? My left eye is open, yet I can't see a thing. I gently touched my face to inspect my eye. A long scar on the left portion of my face surprised me. The scar stretched over my left cheek, to my left eyebrow. Oh. I remember now. We fought the Sevenths. I tried to save Yuno from her dead end. I took the knife for her. I really thought my hands managed to block Ai's knife. Yuno. Is she alive? Where is she? Did I die in vain?

_Remind me next time to never take over whenever you're losing, alright?_

That voice. It came from behind me. As I turned around, a sudden flicker of light blinded me. As my vision slowly cleared, I quickly recognized my surrounding environment. I'm back at the Casualty Cathedral. Oddly, the fog is thicker than usual. As usual, Shaco was sitting on my iron throne. He was spotlighted by some lights on the top of the dome. "Seriously, you're such a lousy landlord." Shaco stated as looked at me with his cold and sharp eyes. "Are we still alive?" I asked him as I slowly approached my throne. "No shit, landlord. Do you want an award for asking the obvious? Of course we are alive. If not, you wouldn't be here right now. This whole thing is in your mind after all." He replied as he gave out a sinister chuckle.

This version of the Cathedral is a place in my own imagination. Here, there are no entities such as Deus and MuruMuru. Ever since this whole survival game started, those two never reappeared in this version of the Cathedral. That means the place where our consciousness are transported to whenever we have a meeting is Deus' realm.

"Why are you standing there? You're such an eye sore." Shaco stated with a disgusted look on his face. "Lay off, will you? I don't know what to do. We lost. We failed to protect her." I replied as I stopped a few meters away from my iron throne. "No, you failed to protect her. Not me. My intention was to kill her from the start." He stated as his sarcastic tone was suddenly replaced with a serious tone. "Give it up, will you? You can't do that. I won't allow it." I stated as I look at his cold eyes.

"_To hell with your loyalty."_

Within a split second, Shaco dashed towards me. He quickly grabbed on to my neck and slammed me on the metal-clad flooring. I gave out a large groan as my whole body shake in pain. "I will kill her. After what she did to me, I will never forgive her." Shaco angrily stated as his hold on my neck became tighter. I could feel his fury surging through his grip. What the hell is saying?! How can Yuno offend him or something if he's just a part of my mind?! Shaco quickly noticed that I was trying to escape his grip. "Heh. It's useless. In this world, I'm God." He stated as I felt my neck getting crushed.

**SNAP!**

What the hell. Did he just, snap my neck? I couldn't move. My entire body froze and I'm numb all over. How can I lose to a persona like him? Why am I holding myself back? What the hell is wrong with me?!

_I'll give you one more chance, landlord. Make sure that you will be the one to kill her. If not, I'll force myself out of this shitty mind of yours. If that happens, you'll disappear._

_I will erase your existence._

As Shaco said those words, he slowly vanishes as the darkness slowly covered him. Who the hell does he think he is? I'm calling the shots here. Whatever he does, I'll do my best to push him back.

I will not let him kill the girl that I love.

_Nohiru-san? Nohiru-san?_

My vision slowly came back. All I can see was a flat white ceiling with a lightning fixture in the middle. Where the hell am I? My body hurts so much. I could feel that my halved vision took away 50% of my body's balance. Tsh. Damn those two. I'll make them pay for making us go through this.

_Oy, First! Stop mumbling! You look like a total creep!_

**UGH!**

A hand landed hard on top of my stomach. My body quickly sat up in response to the pain. "What the hell was that for?!" I angrily shouted to the person beside me as I hold on to my stomach in pain. Wait a minute. I know this woman.

_You got thrashed pretty badly, eh?_

To my utter surprise, Minene, Uryuu was sitting beside me. She was wearing her nurse disguise, just like the last time we saw each other. I slowly looked around as my senses slowly came back to me. Nishijima and Akise were inside the room too. The room was pretty spacious. There's enough space for a couch, a coffee table, two nightstands, and a bed. From the looks of things, I think I'm in the hospital. "Yo, Toshiro-kun. Feeling better?" Akise asked me as he gives me a smile. "Not really. Every part of my body is in pain. Not to mention, this happened." I replied as I point on the left portion of my face. Wait a minute.

I quickly turned to a nearby mirror. To my surprise, the knife wound was already sealed up. How many days have passed since we lost to the Sevenths? Tsh. Now, I have three scars in my face. "That surgery was pretty expensive. Good thing your friend of sorts paid for it." Akise commented as he noticed my reaction on my wound. "Friend? Who?" I asked him with a curious tone in my voice. "He didn't mention his name. He's shorter than you, and sported a long black hair. He also wore a black coat with a fur collar. He also left his note." Akise replied as approaches me and hands me note.

_What the fuck are you doing? You better repay me or else._

Mist? Did Mist paid for all of these? Damn. Now I'm in a bigger debt. "That asshole." I murmured as I start to laugh from reading his note. "I see that you're really acquainted with him." Akise stated as he gave out sigh. "Yep. He's my caretaker of sorts. Anyway, how are Hinata and Mao? Are they okay? How about Yuno? Is she alright?" I asked him as I place the note aside. "Hinata and Mao are resting at the moment. Their wounds were pretty deep. Gasai-san hasn't woken up yet. Her wounds are not fatal, so you don't need to worry. We really lost that one." Akise replied as I noticed a sudden solemn look from his face. "Oh yeah. How many days have passed since we lost to the Sevenths?" I asked.

"One day." Uryuu replied to my question as she pokes my scar. "Oy. Are you serious? Wait. Stop that." I stated as I pushed her hand away. "Yes, I'm serious, and what the hell did I say before? Didn't I tell you to call me Nee-sama?!" She stated with an annoyed tone as she pinches my check. "Ouch! Ouch! Stop that! I get it! Nee-sama!" I shouted in pain. Well, isn't she too pushy? "We have to go now, Toshiro-san. Uryuu, please remember our deal." Nishijima stated as he leaves the room with Akise. "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry. Here. Drink your morning medication." Uryuu stated as stops pinching me and hands me two pills and a glass of water. "Hm? Is that poison?" I sarcastically asked her. Before I could even get the pills from her hand, she pinched my check once again. "Look. I'm not that weak to take advantage of your current condition. I'm only here to prepare you to fight the Sevenths once more. Those pills will help you in flushing those weird chemicals that was injected by your psycho girlfriend." She angrily stated as she twist my check roughly "Okay, okay. I was just joking around. Sheesh." I stated as I pulled my face away from her hand.

"Seriously, you look horrible. Not to mention, you also lost your left eye. That makes us even." Uryuu stated as she sat up and approached the glass window, which was overlooking the city. "I think so. Hey, since you're here, do you want to hear my story?" I asked Uryuu as I finished drinking my meditations. "I already know your background. The great Thanatos of the underground world? I already heard everything. Your friend was my informant when I first arrived here in Japan." She stated as gives me a sly grin. "You know Mist? Wow. What a coincidence." I commented as I gave out a chuckle. "We have the same childhood. We grew up in a harsh environment. I think I was in the same age as yours when I lost my parents." She stated as she leans her back on the window.

_The great Minene, Uryuu. She's a well-known Japanese terrorist from the Middle-East. She lost her parents at an early age when they went there in their vacation. From there, she started her career as a terrorist. She's a prodigy with her bomb techniques._

"How did you know that? Are you my creepy fan or something? Fucking stalker." Uryuu frantically stated with disgust in her voice. "Relax. We have the same informant, right? Mist gave me your details a year ago. I really don't know why since I was already hiding at that time." I stated as I gave her a reassuring smile. "I really don't get that person. He's so mysterious. I really don't know his goals." She stated as she looks at me with a confused look on her face. After a brief moment of silence, we started laughing. "Seriously. I really didn't ask for this life." She stated as she keeps on laughing. "Neither did I, Nee-sama. Neither did I." I commented as I continue to laugh with her.

After our brief laughing fit, the door suddenly opened. A grizzled man enters the room with a serious look on his face. To my surprise, it was my very own father. "Father?" I said as I try to get his attention. "Oh. Toshiro. Do you feel better? I'm sorry about your eye." Father stated as he approaches my bed. "Yeah. A bit. Don't worry about it. How are you doing?" I asked him as I lean my back on to the pillow behind me. "I'm fine. I got discharged last month. I couldn't contact you since I was too busy with my job. Anyway, why were you in that Kousaka household yesterday?" He asked me as he looks around the room. "Their son, Kousaka, Ouji, is one of my friends. I was unlucky enough to be there when that happened." I replied as I kept an eye contact with Uryuu, who was still leaning on the window.

"I see. Oh. Toshiro. I think it's time for you to get an upgrade don't you think?" Father stated as he sat down on my bed. "Upgrade? What are you talking about?" I asked him with a curious look on my face. "Your phone. You're still using that old model that I gave to your uncle. I really didn't expect him to pass it down to you." He stated as keeps an eye on Uryuu. "Well, it came from you, so it has a sentimental value. Sorry, father. I'm not interested." I replied as I gave him a grin. Is he aware of the survival game? Wait. I wonder what are the Sevenths up to. They have our diaries, yet they haven't killed us. Are they using us for entertainment? Tsh. Those fuckers.

"Oh. I see." Father stated with a disappointed in his voice. "Hm? What's wrong?" I asked him as he stands up and walks back to the door. "Nothing. Don't worry about it. I have to go. I still have work with the Yakuza." He stated as he opens the door. "Oh yes. Stay away from your terrorist friends, will you Toshiro? They'll only bring you bad luck." He stated as he leaves the room. Huh? What the hell was that about? Why was he looking for my phone? That's quite odd for him. "So, your father is Hiriyama of the Yakuza, eh?" Uryuu commented as she approaches the door and close it. "Hm? You know of him?" I asked her as I slowly stood up from my bed. Damn. My whole body is still aching. Luckily, the pain is tolerable. "Duh. He is the leader of the Yakuzas here in Sakurami. Are you sure he's your father? How come you didn't inherit his intimidating aura?" She asked with a chuckle. "I don't know. I don't even care anymore." I replied as I approached the window to view the scenery. "Oy First. It's time to train. I have to get you ready." She stated as she approaches me and places her hand on top of my shoulder. "Alright. I'll make you proud, Nee-sama." I stated with a smile on my face as I turn around to face her.

The day quickly passed by. Uryuu coached me as she made me undergo her training which were push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and a 5km jog. Slowly, the pain subsided and my body felt lighter than before. I could really feel the chemicals that Yuno injected into my system finally gone. The sun was already setting when I finished my jog. I rested on a view-deck with Uryuu, who was busy talking with Nishijima about something. As I took off my sweaty top, I can't help but to admire the view of the cityscape. I wonder where Yuno is. She's missing this beautiful view. I hope she's okay. I might visit her once we get back to the hospital.

"Seriously, put some clothes on." Uryuu stated as she approaches me with a bottle of water in hand. "Hm? What's wrong?" I asked her as I wipe my sweaty upper body with my towel. "Just put something on! Geez." She shouted at me with a flustered look on her face. "Alright, alright. Calm down, will you." I murmured as I quickly put on my extra shirt. After a brief moment of silence, I noticed Uryuu was avoiding any eye contact with me. Heh. I'll tease her a little.

"Was it my abs, or my scars?" I asked her with a sly grin on my face. Suddenly, her flustered look disappeared from her face. Within a split second, the water bottle landed on my face. I clenched my face in pain. "What the fuck did you say? I'm not interested in shitty brats like you." Uryuu stated as she picks up the water bottle. "Geez. I'm just joking around. You're such an old hag." I stated as I rub my face to ease the pain. "Hm? What did I just hear? Do you want me to blow you up?!" She angrily shouted as she cocks back her arm. "Wait! Wait! Don't waste that bottle! I'm pretty thirsty, Nee-sama! I'm sorry!" I frantically exclaimed as I try to calm her down. "Tsh. Whatever. Here. You better keep up with me." She stated as she hands me the water bottle and went back to her scooter. "Oy. What happened to my free ride back to the hospital?" I asked her as she revs up the engine. "Oh? That? Since you called me an old hag, you have to jog back to the hospital. Later!" She stated as her scooter quickly accelerated, leaving me alone at the view deck. Ah, shit. Smooth. Really smooth, Toshiro.

After an exhausting jog back to the hospital, I went straight to Yuno's room. It was a few rooms away from mine. "Yuno? Are you there?" I said as I knock on her door. There's no response from the inside. "I'm coming in, okay?" I said as I open her door. To my surprise, she wasn't there. The room looks intact though. Did she venture around the hospital? Puzzled, I approached the receptionist. "Excuse me. Have you seen patient Gasai? She's the girl with the pink pigtails." I asked the receptionist as I look around her desk. "Oh! You must be Nohiru-san, right? I saw her this morning. She said she'll look around for you. I haven't seen her ever since." The receptionist replied as she gives me a smile. "Oh. Alright. Thank you." I stated as I waved her goodbye. Hm. I felt someone watching me earlier when I was training. That might be Yuno. Oh well. She'll pop out sooner or later.

I went back to my room to rest. After a brisk shower, I then laid myself down on my bed. I took the time to adjust my whole body to my new vision. I didn't notice that I was slowly falling asleep as I stared blankly at the white ceiling. Ugh. This bed is too comfy. I might as well sleep for a while.

_Protect me, Yuno._

_Alright, Yukki._

I slowly opened my eye. Ugh. What a headache. Not to mention, what the hell is that dream? Who was that person? Yuno was on top of him. Judging from the environment they're in, I could that was during Uryuu's attack. Strange. That can't be me since that guy's physique is too scrawny. Not to mention, I asked Yuno to fight alongside me, not to protect me. Ugh. Damn it. I clenched my head in pain. My head is such a mess. Shaco? Where are you? I need answers.

_That wasn't ours, landlord. Even I can say that wasn't a part of our memory._

Then how did that end up in my head? Was it just a dream? Am I overthinking things?

_Beats me. Even I'm baffled by that dream of yours. Not to mention, your little wife had the same look on her face when you were in that moment._

Tsh. Forget it. Thinking about it makes my head hurt.

As I busy talking with Shaco in my own head, I didn't notice that someone entered the room. As I saw the person's silhouette in the corner of my eye, I quickly grabbed on to a nearby bread knife and readied my stance. "Who goes there?!" I shouted as I quickly stood up from my bed. Tsh. The room is too dark. I can't see a thing!

_Toshii?_

As the moon slowly moved in the night sky, its glow shined through my room's window. The silhouette was illuminated, and now I could clearly see her long pink hair glowing thanks to the moon's glow. I let out a sigh of relief as I quickly recognized Yuno. "Sheesh. You should have said something. That worked me up." I commented as I sat back down on my bed and placed the bread knife aside. "I did. When I opened the door, I saw you mumbling to yourself. I called your attention a couple of times, but you didn't respond, Toshii." Yuno stated as she approaches me and sits down beside me. She smells nice. Her aroma is making me too relaxed. "Anyway, how are you? Are you okay?" I asked her as I play around with her pink hair. "Yep! I only suffered minor wounds. I should be the one who's asking that, Toshii. Your eye.." She stated as she gently caresses the left portion of my face. "This? Heh. This is nothing. I'm ready to lose a limb or two just to protect you." I said as I push her hand onto my face. "I'm sorry, Toshii. It's my fault that happened to you. I'm totally worth-"

Before Yuno could even mutter those words, I quickly placed my finger on top of her soft lips. "Shh. Not a word. You're not useless, okay? It's because of you I'm still alive at the moment. You're my hope, and my sole purpose why I fight. You're the only one that keeps me going in this cruel world." I whispered to her ear as I hugged the shivering Yuno tightly. "Toshii…"Yuno mumbled as she tries her best to fight her tears. She gently pushes me back and placed her hands on my face. We stared at each other's' eyes for a while. We slowly closed our eyes as our lips locked on to each other. I could feel her tears falling from her eyes. After our tender kiss, she then rested her head onto my chest. I can't help but to feel so peaceful right now. It's just the two of us, in a quiet room, as the cold breeze of the night howled outside.

This is why I fight. I fight so that I could remain at her side. We're just two deranged people who are trying to defy fate. We can't we live like this? I would sacrifice anything just to give her a world that she deserves. I'll give her a world where she can live a normal life. Tsh. I hope I'm still alive to see that.

_Ehem._

A sudden voice inside the room startled us. Yuno quickly pushed me down onto the bed and grabbed the bread knife. "Who's there?!" Yuno shouted as she quickly turns around in the direction of the voice. The moonlight that shone over the window is gone, so the room is pretty dark at the moment. I could hardly see a figure who was sitting on the sofa. Is it a man? What the hell. How could he enter that room with us noticing him?! Wait a minute. I noticed that the figure was wearing a fur coat of sorts. Tsh. I should have known. This sneaky devil is unbelievable.

"Yuno. Wait." I said as I grabbed on to Yuno's arm. "Toshii? What are you doing?! There's an enemy in front of us!" Yuno quickly shouted at me as she turns to face me and tries to break free from my grip. "Calm down. I know this person. He's my ally." I stated as I gave her a reassuring smile and gently let go of her arm. "Isn't it too late for a night visit?" I asked the person as I sat up from the bed. "Heh. Don't you think it's a bit too late for your girlfriend to roam around the halls?" The guy quickly asked as he gave us a sinister smile. "Geez. Stop with that act. You'll scare her." I stated as I gave him an annoyed look.

After hearing my reply, he then stood up and opened the lights. A thin looking young man stood in front of us. As usual, his hair is pretty greasy and his coat is covered with dust. This young man is none other than Mist. "Yuno, I would you to meet my caretaker. He helped me escape my previous life and gave me the opportunity to meet you." I stated as I pat Yuno's head. "I'm Mist. Don't even ask why I'm called that. I'm glad to finally meet you, Gasai-san." Mist said as he introduces himself to Yuno. "Nice to meet you too.." Yuno softly mumbled as she lowers her head in embarrassment. "Aren't you shy? Oh. Toshiro. I got you this." Mist stated as he approaches us and hands me a box. "What's this?" I asked him as I take the box from his hands. "Open it tomorrow. I'm not sure if you'll like it." He replied as he sat down on the sofa.

"You really know how to be in the wrong place in the wrong time, don't you?" Mist asked me as he lets out a tired sigh. I can't tell him about the survival game. I don't want to bother him even further. "I'm sorry. I really owe you a lot, don't I?" I asked him as I gave out a forced chuckle. "Tsh. You better pay me for this. Oh yeah. I have some valuable info. Do you want to hear it?" He asked as he gives us a sly grin. "Sure. Go ahead." I replied as I held on to Yuno's hand.

"Earlier this morning, I saw the boss of the Yakuza talking on the phone in the reception area. In other words, I saw your father talking to the phone. Ms. Gasai was there too, but I was too shy to say hi." Mist sarcastically stated with a smile on his face. "Stop with the bullshit, will you?" I commented as I let out a sigh. As usual, Mist is sarcastic and he likes to beat around the bush. "Anyway, I heard him talking about a debt. The guy on the phone was asking for your father to get your phone. Pretty odd if you ask me." He stated as he continues to share his information. "I see. That's pretty odd." I stated as I try to dodge Mist's piercing stare.

Tsh. That's why Father visited me earlier. A diary owner found out my relationship with Hiriyama, Okugawa, the leader of the Yakuza in the city. Now, that diary owner is using Father's debt to take me down. That's just plain despicable. Well, too bad for him. The Sevenths snatched our phones away. I do wonder. When will we confront them? How can we confront them? Should we fight them head on? We're in a total disadvantage since we can't use our diaries. Geez. I have to use my survival instincts then.

_Sakurami..Tower.._

Me and Mist noticed that Yuno was mumbling to herself. "Huh? SAKURAMI TOWER?" I asked Yuno. To my surprise, she was clenching her head in pain. "Yuno! What's wrong?!" I shouted as I quickly held on to her. Mist approached us to help her out too. In a few seconds, she slowly calmed down. "Phew. You really scared me. What's with that tower you mentioned?" I asked her.

"The Sevenths will be there tomorrow. Your father will also be there. We could intercept them and get our diaries back!" Yuno happily replied. Well, that's good to see that she's back in her usual cheerful self. "Really? Where did you get that info?" I asked Yuno as gently caressed her hand.

_I heard it earlier from your Father! Believe me, Yukki!_

Huh? That name! How does Yuno know that name?! Not to mention, I also heard her say that name before! What the hell? Is she mistaking me for someone else? "Yukki? Who's Yukki?" I asked Yuno as she slowly turns her head to face me. To my utter surprise, Yuno suddenly screamed in fear and anger. In a blind fury, she grabbed on to my neck and pinned me on the bed. What the hell is going on?! Why does she have this killing intent?! "Who the hell are you?! What were you doing to me?! Where's Yukki?! What did you do to him?! Answer me!" Yuno furiously asked me as I could feel her grip on my neck getting tighter. I couldn't breathe. Her hold is too firm. I could feel my neck getting crushed by her hands. I'm too surprised to fight back. As I struggled to break free from Yuno's grip, my vision started to get blurry.

_Will I die here? _

_Oy! Gasai! Stop that! _

Luckily, Mist was there to stop Yuno from choking me. He pulled Yuno away from me. I coughed and wheezed as I try to catch my breath. "Let go of me! Let go!" Yuno shouted in anger as she struggles to break free from Mist. Mist groaned in pain as Yuno delivered a strong kick on his solar plexus region. He stumbles down in pain.

"Yuno…It's me. Toshi!" I weakly shouted as Yuno grabs on to the bread knife. Shit. That blade is sharp! Not to mention, Yuno's a monster with her knife skills! Shit! Shit! Not like this! "Dieee!" Yuno furiously shouted as she cocks her arm upward and tries to plunge the knife into my neck. I quickly used my arms to stop her. Luckily, I managed to hold back her attack with my arms. Shit! She's strong! My arms are practically shaking right now! My body is still a bit sore from my training earlier! Damn it all! Yuno! Snap out of it!

Slowly, the knife comes closer to my neck. "Stop it, Yuno. Please!" I weakly begged Yuno. My arms are giving up on me. Shit! I have to do something! I know I'm determined to help Yuno survive this mad game, but I don't intend to die here! Not like this! I exerted all of my remaining strength in dodging Yuno's stab. The bread knife pierced through the bed sheet and the bed foam. If I wasn't able to dodge that, that could slashed through my neck's artery. Shit. That dodge was my last move. I can no longer move any muscle. The pain from yesterday's battle came back. All of my new wounds started to bleed. Fuck. Fuck! Damn it all!

"Yuno! Please!" I weakly murmured as Yuno stares blankly at my eye. This is it. I closed my eye and prepared my body for any physical pain. She'll deliver the final blow. I bet my own name came up in my diary. Tsh! Is this my dead end?!

_Huh? Toshii? What's wrong?_

To my surprise, I could feel Yuno's shaking hand caressing my face. What the hell is the meaning of this?! I slowly opened my eyes. Yuno was sitting beside me with a shaken look on her face. From her look, I could say she's really confused at the moment. "Oh god." I weakly murmured as my whole body felt flat on my bed. "What happened? Why am I-?"

**THUD!**

Before Yuno could even finish her sentence, her body fell flat on top of mine. As her body falls, a distraught Mist appeared behind her. "Oy! Mist! What the hell was that?!" I weakly asked as I tried to push Yuno beside me. "Geez. Relax. That was just a nerve chop. I just knocked her out. Damn it, Toshiro. Could you explain what the hell happened?" Mist asked me as he rubs his stomach in pain. "I don't have a clue. She said that name again. She called me Yukki." I replied as I took deep breathes to calm myself down. "Yukki? Isn't that a nickname of sorts?" He asked me again as he picked up the unconscious Yuno. "I think so. Hey, could you look for any information about that name?" I asked Mist as I slowly sat up. "Another favour? Tsh. Whatever." He stated. "Thanks, Mist." I said as he slowly walked towards the door. "I told you. Get rid of her. She'll be the death of you." He stated with annoyance in his voice as he leaves the room with the unconscious Yuno on his arms.


	16. Chapter 16 - The Clash of Lovers

_You're going up against those two again, right? If so, I'll let you use my strength. I don't want to die after all. Don't fail, landlord._

I slowly opened my eye. The warm rays of the sun blinded me for a second. I didn't think that I would fall asleep after that scuffle last night. At least my body is well rested. If we fight the Sevenths today, I could probably keep up with Marco. I do hope my wounds would remain close. It's pretty difficult to remove bloodstains in your clothing. Wait. Why am I thinking of that? I should be focused in taking down those two.

**THUD!**

To my surprise, Minene, Uryuu, the Ninth Diary holder, enters my room with a tray filled with breakfast on her hands. Those sandwiches look tasty. I could hear my stomach growling. "Oy. You awake now?" Uryuu asked me as she places the tray on top of the coffee table. "Yeah. I just woke up." I replied as I stood up and stretched my arms. "I heard from our informant. So, you'll fight the Sevenths today?" She asked me as she sits down on the sofa and takes a sandwich from the tray. "Yeah. They'll be in Sakurami Tower this afternoon. We'll take them down there." I replied as I sit down in front of her. I took one sandwich from the tray and proceeded to eat it. Though it looks good, the taste can't match up with Yuno's sandwiches. Talking of Yuno, I wonder if she's okay.

_Toshii?_

A sudden voice beside me startled me. I quickly turned my head and faced the direction of the voice. As I expected, it was none other but Yuno. "Did I startle you, Toshii?" Yuno asked me as she takes a bite of her breakfast, which was a toasted bread with some butter glazing on top of it. "Yeah. Oh. Good morning. Did you sleep well?" I asked her as I pour myself a cup of coffee. "Sort of. I woke up with this intense headache earlier. Don't worry though. I managed to shake it off." Yuno replied as she gives me a warm smile. "Geez. Get a room lovebirds. Is there anyone who would want to know if I sleep well or anything?" Uryuu annoyingly stated as she sips her coffee. "Sorry about that, Nee-sama." I said to Uryuu as I let out a chuckle.

After eating our breakfast, we lounged for a while at the sofa. Yuno rested her head on top of my shoulder while I leaned my back against the soft cushion of the black leather sofa. "That hit the spot. Oh. I have to get going. I need fix your papers so that the hospital will let you out later." Uryuu stated as she sits up with the tray on her hands. "Hm? Alright. Thanks for the breakfast, Nee-sama." I stated as I smiled at her. "Well, your hospital bill covers this service. Hah. Don't waste my training, Toshiro. I'm expecting you to win, alright? Later." Uryuu stated as she leaves us two in the room.

Hm. I think this my chance to ask Yuno about what happened last night. I really don't know what triggered her sudden outburst. Like before, she clenched her head in pain first before she said that name. Who's Yukki? Why did she mention that name? "Hey, Yuno. Can I ask you something?" I asked Yuno as I nuzzled her pink hair with my right hand. "You could ask me anything, Toshii!" Yuno merrily stated as her finger scribbled on top of my chest.

"For starters, do you have any memory of what happened last night?" I asked her as I rested my head on top of hers. "Not really. Everything's hazy in my mind." Yuno replied as she keeps on scribbling on my chest with her finger. "I see. Do you know someone named Yukki?" I asked her as I quickly follow up my previous question. "Yukki? No. I don't remember meeting someone before with that sort of name. Why does it sound similar to your nickname, Toshii?" She quickly replied without any hesitation. Her response is pretty fast. She didn't even stop to think. "Beats me. You're the only person that calls me that. So, I'm thinking that-"

Suddenly, Yuno quickly mounted me and pushed me down onto the cushion behind me. "There's no possibility that I would cheat on you, Toshii. I would never do that." Yuno stated with a slight feeling of pain in her voice. Crap. Did I upset her? "No! No! I wasn't thinking that! I was thinking that it was the nickname of your friend before." I quickly replied as I try to calm her down. "Friend?" She asked me with a confused look on her face. "Yeah. You were pretty popular back then. Didn't you had friends before? I always saw you with some girls." I explained to her as I place my hands on her hips. "No. They weren't my friends, Toshii. They just tailed me around, thinking that they could get close to me. I don't need anyone. What I need, is only you." She whispered to my ear as she wraps her arms around my neck. Heh. I can't help but to smile as Yuno gently nuzzles her cheek onto mine. I don't care if she's insane or what. She's everything that I could ask for.

After our brief sweet moment, I remembered that Mist gave me a box last night. I might as well check it out now before preparing for our fight. As Yuno scoots over, I quickly stood up and approached the box, which was on top of the wooden nightstand. "What's that, Toshii?" Yuno asked me as she transfers to my bed. "I don't know. Mist gave me this box last night. He told me to open it today." I replied as I took off the tape around the box. Is this a gift or some sorts? I cautiously opened the box. Hm. There's a black leather eye-patch, two leather gauntlets that has this mechanical contraption underneath, my trench knife and two black leather gloves. Wait a minute. I remember these gauntlets! This is probably my old weapon that I discarded after my 6th contract. I quickly inspected the two as I pushed the box aside. These scratches and the damage in the leather are the same! There's no doubt this is my old wrist blades that I designed back then.

Underneath the gauntlets is a mechanical contraption that has this spring mechanism. With a flick of my wrist, the mechanism will push an 8-inch blade out. The blade is sharp enough to fatally wound someone. Not to mention, the blade is detachable. Within a click, I could remove the blade from the mechanism and use it as throwing knife. After my 6th contract, which resulted to a near-failure thanks to my slight miscalculation, I ended up with a gunshot wound on my right ribs section, and a broken wrist blade. Thanks to my uncle's vicious training, I managed to survive. Unfortunately, I had to put aside my first weapon for a firearm since the mechanism was smashed into pieces. I really don't how Mist managed to fix my old one. Not to mention, he made an exact copy of my previous one. Well, what can you do? Mist is a child prodigy after all.

"What's that, Toshii?" Yuno asked me as I tinker with my wrist blades. "It's my old weapon. Mist managed to fix it. Anyway, my trench knife is yours. I'll be okay with these blades." I replied as I put on the gauntlets. With a flick of my wrist, one of the blades came out. "Woah!" Yuno commented in awe as she tries to touch the blade. "Careful. It's pretty sharp." I stated as I let her touch the gleaming blade. After Yuno inspects my weapon, I then retract the blade.

After changing into our casual clothing and preparing our weapons, we then left the hospital. Before leaving, we bid goodbye to Uryuu, who busy fixing our papers. I didn't thought she would actually be serious about that. Well, if she's teaming up with Nishijima, she has to lay low for a while. From the hospital, me and Yuno took a cab towards Sakurami Tower. The tower is located quite near the financial district of the city. If we were to walk, we won't reach the tower in time. We have to reach the tower before 0100pm, or we'll miss the opportunity to intercept Father and the Sevenths. Tsh. I don't get it. Why would Father be so desperate about clearing that debt? I mean he could the money in other ways, right? What will do if he will stand against me? I know that I hated him before, but right now, I think I couldn't bring myself to kill my own father. I know he's an asshole and all, but he's still my family.

After a lengthy taxi ride thanks to the traffic in the financial district, we arrived at Sakurami Tower at 11:50am. Mist told me that Father will arrive here between 12:00nn to 12:30nn. Till that, we have to hide somewhere and prepare ourselves for our upcoming battle. After entering the tower's entrance, I looked around for any place we could stay for a while. The notice board near the elevator got my attention. As Yuno went around looking for anything we could use against the Sevenths, I approached the notice board. Hm. I see. The tower is due for deconstruction today. Wait. If that's the case, then how come the doors were still open? Did the Sevenths plan all of this? We have to be careful. I remember that they had a third accomplice during our previous battle. If my hunch is correct, their accomplice was the one who set the entire house on fire.

I looked around for any explosives in the vicinity. Tsh. This is odd. There's not a single explosive here. Am I being paranoid or are they that good in hiding their trump cards? Oh well. Shit. I could hear a faint engine noise from the distance. That would be Father arriving in the vicinity. "Yuno! Come on! We have to hide!" I shouted at Yuno. "Is that your father, Toshii?" Yuno asked me as she quickly ran towards me. We could see a man walking towards the entrance. "Yeah. Judging from the way he walks and his clothing, I could say that must be Father." I replied as I opened the elevator control room and pulled Yuno inside. As Yuno locks the door, I quickly booted the computer which was connected to the camera in the elevator. After a few seconds, a grizzled man enters the view range of the camera. The man is none other than Okugawa, Hiriyama. Hm. I really didn't expect him to show up. He could have sent a representative or sorts.

After he exits the elevator on the top floor, we quickly went out of the control room and called the elevator. After a minute of waiting, the elevator arrives at the first floor. We hurriedly boarded it and I pressed the top floor. As the elevator was slowly ascending towards the top, I could feel my chest rattling in nervousness. Since Father is here, I have to come up with a plan that wouldn't involve him with our battle. Should I knock him out? Should I try to talk him out of this? As I was caught in my own thoughts, Yuno gently held onto my hand. "Yuno?" I asked her as I turned my head towards her. "Don't worry, Toshii. We'll get them. Trust me." Yuno stated as she gives me a warm smile. I simply nodded back to her with a smile of my own. No more hesitating, Toshiro. Trust Yuno with everything you have.

**DING!**

We finally arrived at the top floor. Here we go. I could feel my body burning with revenge. We'll get them this time. They'll regret playing around with us. I readied my gloves and my gauntlets while Yuno took out her knife. As the elevator door opened, the next thing we saw surprised us. The top floor was decked out with a wedding ceremony. Marco and Ai stood at the altar, as they looked at us with a smile. I see. They were using our diaries. They knew that we were coming. In the middle of the aisle stood Father, who has a surprised expression on his face as he watches us exit the elevator.

"Yo, First. I thought I told you to wear something formal for today. Not to mention, you look like an idiot with that eye patch of yours." Marco stated as he takes off his white coat. "Well, who should I blame for my injury? Enough with the chit chat. We'll take you down." I stated as I slowly walk towards the aisle. "Toshiro! What are you doing here?!" Father frantically asked me with a confused look on his face. "Stand aside, old man. Don't get involved with this." I coldly replied as I ready my stance. "I like the way you look, First! Now, show me your new found resolve!" Marco shouted as he dashes towards me.

I quickly pushed Father towards the seats as I meet Marco with my fists. Marco tried to go for a right straight, but I quickly ducked below his attack and tried to go for a right uppercut. Marco sees my counter-attack and tries to kick me away. Before his kick could land on my stomach, I quickly used my left hand to parry his kick away. As my parry left him open, I managed to land my uppercut on his chin. Though the impact of my attack was pretty solid, Marco shrugged off my attack and quickly grabbed onto my head. To my surprise, he gave me one solid headbutt, which made me stumble backwards.

"Not bad, First. You're keeping up!" Marco commented as he cracks his knuckles and readies his stance once more. "Heh. There's plenty more where that came from." I stated as I shake off the pain from his previous attack. In an instant, we exchanged blows once again. I managed to land some significant punches on him, but some of my wounds were reopened once again. As I missed with my left hook, he managed to land a devastating right hook on my body which made me reel backwards. "Toshii!" Yuno shouted in pain as she watches me crash onto the wooden seating. "Tsh. You got me good." I commented as I slowly pushed myself up. I think I cracked a rib or something.

As I was busy fighting Marco, I didn't noticed that Father was running towards a pedestal near the altar. Wait a minute. Are those our diaries in the pedestal?! As Father reaches the pedestal, he quickly grabbed onto my smart phone. "Father! What are you doing?!" I shouted as I dodged Marco's attacks. "If I break this, the debt will be cleared, right?" Father asked Ai, who was still standing by the altar. "Why are you asking us? We weren't the ones who contacted you." Marco replied as he keeps on pressuring me with his attacks. "Don't! Fatheeeer!" I screamed to my father as he cocks back his arm.

_Bear with me, Toshiro!_

**CRACK!**

No. No. No. No! I fell to my knees as I watched my Father smashing my phone onto the pedestal. He was serious. He didn't even hesitate. This man betrayed me once again. Why? I thought he wants to start over. I thought he wants to correct his mistakes. Why did he betray me? My whole body froze as I was left stunned from my Father's action. This is it then. I can't believe it. My very own Father killed me with his hands.

_He didn't care at all about me._

Wait a minute.

If my diary got smashed into pieces, then how come I'm still alive? There should be a void that would suck me into a vortex, right? No way. Could it be? I don't have any assurance, but those diaries on that pedestal, could possibly be fake. If so, where could they hide the real ones? I don't see anything here that they could use as a-

_Toshii! Heads up!_

Huh? As I snapped out of my stunned state, a black smart phone landed on top of my face. What the heck is this? "Yuno? What the heck is this?" I shouted at Yuno who just attacked Ai with her knife. Huh? Why did Yuno attacked the bouquet that Ai was holding? Wait a minute. These scratches! This is my real diary! "You bitch! How?!" Marco angrily shouted in disbelief as he tends to the downed Ai. "Those diaries on the pedestal may be identical with ours, but it doesn't have the same scratches on our diaries!" Yuno exclaimed as she readies her stance. Again, I found myself admiring Yuno's skills. I can't believe that she would remember the small details on our diaries. She's pretty inh-

**BOOOOM!**

_**BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!**_

What the hell?! Was that an explosion below us?! Not mention, I heard a static coming from my diary! Huh?! Is it me, or the floor beneath me is cracking at this very moment?! "Toshii!" Yuno frantically shouted as she ran towards me. Shit! Shit! I have to move! Before I could even move any muscle, the floor beneath me crumbled down.

Everything was in slow motion once again. Yuno might not reach me. "Toshirooo!" Father frantically shouted as he rushes towards me. Father? I thought you.. Fuck it! This isn't that time! "Not fucking yet!" I shouted as I quickly grabbed onto a ledge. Shit. Shit! I have to get out of this! The ledge is crumbling!

_Toshii! Hold on!_

_Toshiro! Give me your hand!_

As two hands reaches out for me, the ledge crumbles down. Fuck! I have to grab on one them! Which do I grab on to? Who should I trust? Should I trust my insane girlfriend or my father who used me for his own means? Fuck it, Toshiro! This isn't the time to decide about that! Without thinking, I grabbed onto one of the hands.

_I got you, Toshii!_

I slowly looked up. Yuno. It was Yuno's hand that saved me. Why do I keep on hesitating trusting Yuno when she always looked out for me? Why? Why is there something inside of me that stops me from doing that? Why is it always like this? When I started to think that I could finally be with my Father, he betrayed me in an instant. He didn't even hesitated when he crushed that fake diary earlier. In the other hand, Yuno, who I keep on doubting back then, never wavered and kept on fighting alongside me. She might be reckless and all, but if you look at it, her intention is true. She just wants me to survive in this game. She never stood back and watched me suffer. She never left my side ever since this survival game started.

She's probably the only person I can trust. She's my only hope in surviving this death game.

As Yuno managed to pull me out of the hole, I quickly pushed her aside. The floor might crumble even further. We have to get out of this area as quickly as we can. "Hm? You managed to evade death again, First?" Marco asked as he and Ai approaches the elevator. Wait a minute. He has Father on his shoulder! How did he knock him out that easily?! "This isn't over, Sevenths!" I shouted at them as I pulled Yuno further away from the hole. "Is that so? Show us then! Show us that your love is stronger than ours!" Ai shouted as they board the elevator. We could only watch them as the elevator's doors closed.

"Toshii. What should we do? Should we fall back now?" Yuno asked me as she started to panic about our dire situation. "The floors beneath us are probably gone thanks to the explosions. I noticed those two had parachutes on their backs. Our best option right now is to follow them and take them out." I stated as I survey our crumbling environment. Tsh. We have no choice. We have to take the stairs upwards. "Come on! We can't dally around!" I shouted at her as I quickly grabbed onto her arm and pulled her towards the stairs.

I suddenly stopped at the last flight of the stairs. "What's wrong, Toshii?" Yuno asked me as she hands me my phone. "I'm okay. Look. We can't win if the two can keep on protecting one another. It's just that impossible." I stated as I take my phone from her hand. Shit. I can feel my body becoming numb. My previous wounds are dragging me down. "I can hold Ai back." She stated as she smiles at me and brings out her knife. "I know, but with our previous injuries, we can't fight 100% percent. If something were to happen, I will protect you. I will protect you with my life!" I exclaimed as I quickly opened my diary.

**July 7 13:10 [Sakurami Tower]**

_Nohiru, Toshiro_

He got knocked out by the Sevenths. An explosion detonated 2 meters away from him. He died due to severe burns.

The floor crumbles down as he tried to save Second. He died to the severe impact from his fall.

**DEAD END**

**July 7 13:10 [Sakurami Tower]**

_Gasai, Yuno_

She got her throat slashed by the Sevenths as she was caught off guard.

She gets knocked out by the Sevenths and an explosion detonated beside her. She died to severe burns.

**DEAD END**

Tsh. The odds are pretty bad. Not to mention, I don't see any entries about Marco and Ai. Heh. I won't allow this. We won't die here. We will change the future. "Shall we show them the strength of our love?" I asked Yuno as I reach out for her hand. Yuno happily nodded and took my hand.

We reached the view deck. Marco and Ai was waiting for us in the middle of the view deck. Father was still unconscious and was lying down near the elevator. "Took you guys a while." Marco commented as he ready his stance. "Yuno. Go for it. Never lose your focus. I'll take down Marco." I stated as I ready my firsts and my wrists blades. Now that I noticed it, I didn't bring out the blades earlier. I think it was better that way since if Marco managed to counter my attack, we're done for. "Understood, Toshii!" Yuno replied as she ready her stance.

The four of us charged in. The ladies were the first ones to engage. Yuno swiftly delivered a flurry of strikes on Ai. Ai is completely on defensive. Within an instant, I clashed with Marco. A barrage of jabs and hooks welcomed me. I managed to evade and block some of them, but with my current vision, I wasn't able to see some. I could feel the denting impact of his blows as he lands some of his punches on my face. A sudden straight left which landed on my nose caught me off guard. As I was reeling backwards, Marco stepped in and tried to follow up his attack. I quickly pushed his fist aside, and countered him with a strong elbow to his face. Fortunately, my attack made him stumble backwards.

Blood trickles down from my nostrils. I have the upper hand. I still don't need my blades. "Tsh. Let's keep going!" I shouted as I wiped away the blood coming from my nose. "Heh. Alright then. Time to get serious." Marco stated as he stood up and charged towards me. Huh?! Is it me or his strikes are getting faster?! As Marco tried to follow his barrage of jabs with a strong right hook, I quickly ducked under it and tried to land a hook on his temple. To my surprise, he quickly responded with a strong push kick on my stomach. His attack gave him some space to cock his arm back. Shit. That's his killer straight! In my current condition, if that lands, I'm done for! I narrowly evaded his straight countered him with a right roundhouse kick to his body.

"Heh. This is what I'm looking for, First. You're a worthy opponent to go all out!" Marco shouted as he shrugs off the pain from my attacks. Damn. I'm losing my strength. My breathing is out of control too. I have to end this! As Marco charges in, I quickly flicked my wrists. To my surprise, the blades didn't slide down. Oh shit! I remembered! He managed to land some strong jabs on the mechanism earlier! Fuck. Fuck! I have to get it ou-

**UGH!**

Seeing that I was distracted for a second, Marco quickly landed his killer right straight on my temple. My body crashed downwards on the shaking floor. Damn it. Why did I shift my attention away from him?! Crap. How can Ai pin down Yuno?! Damn it! I could see Yuno desperately trying to break free. "If you keep on struggling like that, I'll break your arm, you bitch!" Ai angrily shouted as she pushed Yuno downwards. Fuck. My vision is getting hazy. I have to keep going. I have to get these blades out! As I slowly stood up, Marco quickly capitalized my dazed state. He landed a devastating right hook on my jaw. As I was about to stumble backwards, he quickly grabbed me and locked me in a rear naked choke. "This is it, First! You guys lose!" Marco shouted as he taunts me. Yuno is forced to watch me getting chocked out. I could see her tears coming out from her pained eyes.

Damn it.. I have to..

_**CLICK!**_

My eye widen as I heard the sound of my blades sliding down from its steel mechanism. Finally! It's time for us to strike back! "What?!" Marco quickly remarked as he sees my hidden weapon. Before he could even move, I quickly stabbed his arm with one of the blades. This broke his hold on my neck. As he reeled backwards in pain, I quickly followed up with another stab on his left thigh. Marco shouted in pain as my attack made him fall on the floor. "Marco!" Ai frantically shouted as she watches her lover screaming in pain. This is it! The opportunity that we need! Seeing that Ai is distracted, I quickly de-attached one of the blades and aimed at her. "Checkmate." I murmured as I threw the blade towards Ai.

_Dodge it, Ai!_

Ai managed to evade it, but as soon her attention shifted towards me, Yuno escaped from her hold and slashed her neck with her knife. "Aiiiii!" Marco furiously shouted as Ai slowly falls flat on the floor covered by her own blood. "I'm not done yet!" Yuno shouted as she stood up and ready her blade for another strike. I quickly grabbed onto her arm. "Toshii? Why?!" Yuno asked with a surprised look on her face. I know Ai took away half of my vision, but she doesn't have to suffer like this. We already landed a blow that will kill her in time. We don't need to go further than that. "She's already done for." I replied as I took off Ai's parachute. With this, we could escape the tower. We only have to take Marco dow-

Huh?!

As I shifted my attention to Marco, I suddenly felt someone take the parachute from my hands. Huh? Did Yuno just-

_Toshii. Your father.._

As Yuno murmured those words, I quickly turned my head towards the open hole on the glass wall. To my utter surprise, I could see Father holding on the parachute with a frantic look on his face. "Father? What are you doing?! Please! Wait for a minute! I just need to-"

Before I could even finish my sentence, Father sprinted towards the hole. He equipped the parachute and jumped outside. I suddenly find myself stunned from my father's action. I can't believe it. My own father left me behind to save his life. I could feel my sanity snapping. My thoughts were suddenly clouded by my fury.

_A new life?! Who the fuck are you kidding?! Your just making an excuse to use me again!_

_Lies! You fucking liar! I'll fucking kill you!_

_I'm done being your son! I am finished with you! I will end you!_

**BOOOOOM!**

**BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!**

Huh?! Another explosion detonated, and this time, it was right on top of us. I tried to push Yuno aside but the rubble landed on my back. I felt a few more chunks of concrete falling on top of me as I laid flat on the floor. Luckily, I have enough adrenaline to block out the pain. I groaned as I tried to push the rubble away.

_Toshii?_

I shifted my gaze towards her voice. Luckily, Yuno wasn't that injured. She had some rubble on her back, but she easily pushed it off. "It looks like we're caved in." I stated as I managed to push the rubble on top of me away. "It's..no…u-use…. Mar…won."Ai weakly stated as she struggles to breathe. "Then I'll cut you part by part till he makes a way out for us." Yuno bluntly replied as she pulls Ai's hair upward. "Yuno!" I quickly shouted at Yuno as I pulled her away from Ai. I was trained not to let our contracts suffer even further. Tsh. What the hell is this? Is this pity that I'm feeling right now? "Don't get in the way, Toshii. This is the only way out for us." Yuno bluntly replied with a smile on her face.

"Enough!" I angrily shouted at Yuno as I tried to make a way out of the rubble. "Toshi.." Yuno disappointingly murmured. "I told you earlier, right? She's done for! She'll die in a couple of minutes or so. Not to mention, if Ai dies, Marco's diary will become useless. So drop her and help me out with these!" I shouted as I push my back against the rubble. "Toshi…I…" Yuno murmured once more. "Damn it! Listen to me! I won't let you go deeper than you are! I know you're deranged and all, but I won't allow you to lose your sanity because of me!" I eagerly stated as I tried my hardest to lift the rubble. It's no good. I'm out of adrenaline. Now, I can feel every part of my body burning in pain.

_Ai! Hold on! I'm getting you out of there!_

**CLANG!**

Marco! That was his voice just now! Was that a metal sound? I could feel the rubble in front of us move. He'll actually save Ai. "Mar…I'm..d-done…for…don-"

_What the hell are you talking about?! We just got married, damn it! I won't allow you to die like this! Oy! First! Help me out with this!_

I sense no danger coming from Marco. I retract my blade and approached the area where Marco was trying to lift. "Yuno! Help me! Please! I'm out of gas!" I shouted as I called out for Yuno. "But, Toshii.." Yuno murmured as she lets go of the dying Ai. "Yuno, do you really love me, or are you just insane?" I bluntly asked her as I tried to push the rubble upwards. Yuno was left speechless. Her tears suddenly flowed down from her eyes. "Show me, Yuno. Make me believe." I said as I reached out for her. She quickly dropped the knife and took my hand.

With our combined effort, we managed to push out the rubble. "Mar…" Ai weakly murmured as we pushed the rubble aside. To our surprise, there's a steel pipe sticking out from Marco's abdomen. So, he's dying too. "Looks like I messed up again." Marco stated as he weakly smiled at Ai. As Marco quickly ran towards his dying lover, me and Yuno went out of the cave in. I could no longer see Ai breathing. Marco wrapped her lifeless body with his arms. "It looks like I'm too late again." He stated as his tears flow down from his eyes.

"First. Take the parachute." Marco stated as his breathing started to become shallower. "Alright." I replied as I approached him and took the parachute from his hands. "Get your ass out of here. Win the game for us, alright?" He weakly stated as he caressed Ai's cheeks. "I will." I replied as I took Yuno's hand and ran towards the gaping hole on the glass wall. "Hold on tight." I whispered as I equipped the parachute and carried Yuno on my arms. "Yes, Toshi.." Yuno murmured as she tries to give me a smile. I took a deep breath, and then quickly jumped out of the hole.

**BOOOOOM!**

Within a few seconds, Yuno pulled the parachute's string and our chute came out. As we glided between the buildings, I took a glance on the crumbling tower. That must be it. That ends the Sevenths. At least those two died together. That's another way to be with each other for eternity. Hm. I wonder. How will it end between me and Yuno? Yuno rests her head on my chest as she tightens her hold around my neck.

_Will I kill her, or will she kill me?_

_Which of us will live on?_


	17. Chapter 17 - Sins of the Father

_It hurts._

_It really hurts._

Where am I? The last thing that I saw was Papa and Mama smiling at me. Everything went dark in an instant. Huh? My head feels light. I slowly opened my eyes. The cold gritty appearance of the asphalt road was the first thing that I saw. Why am I here? I was in the car with Papa and Mama earlier. Where are they?

**DRIP.**

Huh? What's this? There's a red liquid dripping down from my face. Ugh. My head hurts. As I slowly pushed myself upwards, I could clearly smell the scent of burning gasoline in the air. My vision was hazy and I could hardly see a thing. I can't move. My head hurts so much. As I slowly caressed the crown portion of my head, I quickly noticed the source of the red liquid. To my utter surprise, there's a gaping wound on the crown portion of my head. Though it's not that deep and it's quite small, it still hurts so much.

_I don't want this._

_It hurts._

_There's blood coming out from my wound._

_It hurts so much!_

_Papa! Mama!_

As I try my best to clear my vision, I realized what happened earlier. As Papa and Mama smiled at me, a truck collided with our sedan. As our car tumbled, the glasses at the backseat broke. The impact threw me outwards. My body tumbled on the asphalt road. The immense pain from the impact made me lose consciousness. Wait. Our car! Papa and Mama are still inside of it! Where are they?! As my hearing slowly came back, I could clearly hear the echoing sirens of an ambulance nearby. I slowly looked around. Fire trucks, fire fighters and an ambulance, are the only things I could see.

_Get this kid to hospital!_

_Quick! Extinguish the flames before it explodes!_

_Don't worry kid! I got you!_

I felt someone picking me up. Wait. How about Papa and Mama? Where are they?! I can't leave them behind! In the corner of my eye, I saw the car wreck of our blue sedan. There's fire coming out from its engine and wheels! I could see Papa's and Mama's silhouette inside! "Papa! Mama!" I shouted out as I broke free from the firefighter's grasp. Though my whole body is groggy and my vision is a complete haze, I have to save Papa and Mama!

_Wait! Kid! Don't go!_

_Stop that kid! Quick!_

_I got him! You guys focus on the fire!_

_..._

_Grow up nice and strong, will you Toshiro?_

_Ah! My little boy is all grown up! Mama is so proud of you!_

_We love you, Toshiro!_

_..._

**BOOOOOM!**

I could only watch as the whole car wreckage exploded once more. I couldn't see their bodies anymore. I fell to my knees as the firefighters dragged me away from the explosions. I could feel my whole body shivering in pain and fear.

_Shit! Put the fire out! Quickly! It might spread to the forest!_

_Get the kid the hell out of here! Quick! Bring him to hospital!_

This can't be. This has to be a dream. A bad dream. I've probably fallen asleep earlier on the backseat. This can't be real! There's no way that the happiest day of my life could end like this! I' probably too tired since I rode the teacups in the amusement park too much, right?!

If I keep calling them out, I'm sure they'll show up, right?! This is just a bad dream! There's no way this is real!

_Papa! Mama! Please! Don't leave me! Don't leave Toshiro alone!_

_Papa! Mama!_

…

I slowly opened my eyes. The same old boring white ceiling was the first thing that I saw. I'm inside the same old hospital room. How long has passed since I watched Papa and Mama died? How many days, weeks, months, have passed since I watched the claws of fate take them away? The medics who rescued me quickly rushed me to Sakurami Hospital. Here, they tended my wounds and made me rest. Oh. It's been a year. It's been a year that I kept on staring on the sliding door, wishing that Papa and Mama will pick me up. Who am I kidding? They're dead. It hurts so much. No matter what I do, it hurts so much in the inside.

_I'm all alone now. _

_I'm alone in this cruel world._

But one day, a man visited me. The man was scrawny, with an average height, and black slicked-back hair. His face somewhat resembled mine. As he enters the room with a smile on his face, I can't help but to be curious of him. Who is he? What is he doing here? For the past year, the only ones who visited me are the nurses who were taking care of me.

"You must be little Toshiro, right?" The man asked as he sits on a chair beside my bed. I blankly nodded at him. "Well. This is a surprise! It's been a while, Tosh-chan! I'm your uncle, OKUGAWA, RYOSKE!" The man cheerfully exclaimed as he patted my head. Okugawa? How can he be my uncle when my last name is Nohiru? My mother's maiden name was Akuzawa, so there's no possibility that he can be my uncle.

"I bet you don't remember, but I was the one who took care of you when you were still a baby! I can't believe that it has been 6 years!" He exclaimed as he continued to pat my head. When I was still a baby? I don't remember anything. "Anyway, I fixed your hospital papers. I'm taking you in my family. You'll love it! Your auntie, MISAKI, will love to see you!" He exclaimed with a big smile on his face.

_Hope._

_Welcome to your new home, Toshiro-chan!_

Will these people take care of me? I don't know. I just don't want to be alone anymore. Relatives or not, if they take me in, I will gladly accept. This is all I have right now.

Their house was pretty big. It was a traditional Japanese house located near the financial district of Sakurami City. Uncle Ryoske was an accountant of sorts, while Auntie Misaki; who is a long-haired brunette blessed with a beautiful complexion, was your ordinary housewife. While Uncle worked during the day, I helped Auntie with the household chores. Once Uncle comes home from his work, he would always play with me. Through 2 years, I've learned to love them. It was total bliss. The pain in my heart slowly faded away.

_Oh? Do you want to play again, Toshiro-chan?_

_You know, Auntie Misaki loves you. She thinks of you as her own son. Be gentle with her, will you?_

_My, my! Toshiro-chan is such a hard worker!_

Till one day.

…

_Stand up, Toshiro! You have to withstand the pain if you want to get through this job! Don't forget! You're doing this to repay our kindness!_

Uncle started to viciously beat me up. He said that it's necessary for me to learn how to endure the pain. I really don't know why. At first, I begged him to stop, but soon, it became something usual for me. He would beat me up senseless till I could no longer stand. There are times I really thought that I will die. My 8 year old body couldn't handle the pain at first, but it slowly adapted to it. For the next 5 years, he trained me to fight, to kill. I don't know for what purpose is this training, but he insisted that he is preparing me for my future ordeals.

_Your biological father left you while you were still a baby. Your "papa", who died 8 years ago, was your step-father._

I couldn't believe it. I still have a father. But, he left us behind. He didn't even search for me when Mama died. It's like he didn't care.

"Where is he now?" I asked Uncle as I wiped away some blood from my mouth. "He's a boss of an underground gang. Not to mention, he has a job for you." Uncle replied as he sat down in front of me. We just finished training in the dojo. Though my bruises are sore and my muscles are aching, I don't feel any exhaustion. It's like my body is reached its endurance's peak thanks to the past 5 years of training. "He has a job, for me?" I cautiously asked. "Yeah. Here. Read this." He replied as he handed me a piece of paper.

It was a contract, a contract of death.

"He wants me, to kill someone?!" I asked Uncle with a shocked tone. "Yep. That's why I trained you for 5 years. I knew he'll come around looking for you to do these jobs. It runs in our family, after all." Uncle replied as he took back the contract. "But, why?! Why do I hav-"

_It's because you have to prove that you're useful to him._

…

_Arakagi, Isshin._

_42 years old. He runs a construction company that meddled with the affairs of my Father. He has an average height, and a bit overweight. No protection. He has a family of 2, including his 32 year old wife, and his 10 year old son. He loves to go to the red light district during Friday evenings._

Following my Uncle's advice, I have to decide on what best course of action should I take. Once I've chosen my move, I must list down the possible scenarios that could happen. It's a preparation for the worst case scenario.

I waited for him at the parking lot where he usually parks his grey sedan. It's already 0200am. I'm pretty sure he'll come here any second now. As I waited in the shadows of the parking lot, I quickly noticed the smell of alcohol becoming thicker. I slowly peeked over at the elevator. Oh? He used the stairs? Tsh. My hands are shaking. Do I really have to do this? Do I really have to kill this person? Damn it. I must not hesitate.

_I have to prove my usefulness to him. I have to make him acknowledge me as his son. _

_I have to make acknowledge my existence!_

As my target opens the driver's door of his grey sedan, I quickly rushed at him. As he was caught surprised, I pulled him backwards. Thanks to the alcohol in his system, his body quickly lost its balance. As he falls down on the cold concrete floor, I swung my baseball bat as hard as I can. I landed a massive blow on his head. One hit, two hits, three. His blood splattered across the floor.

_He wasn't breathing anymore. _

I quickly fled the crime scene with my weapon. As I slipped through the dark alleys, an immense feeling swelled in my chest and in my throat. As I stopped to catch my breath, I suddenly vomited on the concrete walkway.

_Is this, the killer's remorse? _

_Is this the guilty conscience that my uncle told me about? _

My eyes widen as I watch my hand shaking profusely. I did a crime. I just killed a man! Dear god, where will I end up now?! My soul is tainted with this blood! Minutes passed, and I kept on vomiting in the dark alley. My tears and my vomit were smeared across my weary and tired face. I can't believe it. I really can't believe it. I just threw away my innocence, my humanity! But for what purpose?! I don't know! I really don't know! Please! I don't want this! I really don't, but I can't fail them! I just can't!

_I don't want to be alone again._

…

_So, is this him?_

The bearded man asked as he observes me closely. Finally, I get to meet him. After 2 years of servitude, after killing 16 men, I could finally meet him. I could finally meet my Father. I sat in front of his desk in his personal office. It was dark and the red wall theme made the intimidating feeling more dreadful. "Yep. He's the one. I gave him the codename: Thanatos." Uncle replied as he crossed his arms behind me.

Thanatos, the harbinger of death.

_It is a fitting codename for my past sins._

"Hmm. He's pretty young if you ask me. I can't believe that you were the one who trained him." The bearded man commented as he lights his cigarette. "Pft. Say what you want, Oku-sama. He'll get his next contract done." Uncle replied as he hands me a contract. Huh? Well, this is odd. "My next target is a power plant facilitator?" I asked as I skimmed through the contract. "Yep. Pretty easy! My intel told me that he doesn't have any bodyguards. You could use what method you feel like using." Uncle replied.

_Alright. It was nice meeting you. I hope you can get the work done, Thanatos._

I didn't get the chance to introduce myself to him. I bet he knew from the start that I was his son. I can't believe though. He's using his own son as a weapon, a living weapon. Is he that brutal?!

"Your Father expects a lot from you in this contract, Toshiro-chan." Uncle stated as he drove his black sedan. "Hm." I replied as I carefully read every detail of my next target. As I shifted my gaze upwards, I noticed that it was snowing. Oh. That's right. It's already December. "Don't fail me, Toshiro. Don't make everything you've gone through wasted with this. Even if you have to die, complete your contract." Uncle coldly stated. I can't help but to smile from his statement. After all of those contracts, he still doubts my ability? Heh. Just you watch.

I'll kill him. I'll fucking kill him.

_Don't worry. I don't intend to._

…

**RING! RING! RING!**

Huh? Was that my alarm? I slowly opened my eye. This usual dark blue ceiling was the first thing that I saw. It was the ceiling of my bedroom. Ugh. That dream. I despise myself for believing their words and being too naïve. How I wish I didn't resorted to that path. Now, I can't say whether I'm still sane or what. I have to deal with this madman persona that I created. Right, Shaco?

I sat up and turned off my noisy alarm clock. It's been two days since we took out the Sevenths. 2 days of peace. I haven't heard anything from Ninth ever since. She must be planning something. I mustn't let down my guard. I know she sided with us through our battle with the Fourth and the Sevenths, and not to mention, she did administered the antidote to me and Yuno when we fought against the Fifth, but I can't let that faze me. This game will end with a blood bath. I have to do something about that though.

Can I kill the woman that I love the most?

Can I kill the woman who's my hope in this cruel world?

Can I bring myself to kill Yuno?

I sat down on the sofa with a cup of coffee in my hand. If only his game didn't exist, I would be living normally right now. Even so, I wouldn't have become closer to Yuno, so I can't say that all of these recent events are disadvantageous. We would be stuck in that whole stalker phase. Speaking of which, she would text me around this time. I better check my phone then. I quickly opened my phone. Wait a minute. It's only 0530am?! Crap. I set the wrong alarm last night. Normally, I would wake up around 0800am. Tsh. I blame that dream for waking me up earlier than usual.

Father. Till what extent will you destroy my dreams and my hopes? When will you stop betraying me? I grew weary of our charades. I must put an end to this. If I leave you alive, I'm pretty sure you'll haunt me till the day I die.

_I will kill you, Okugawa, Hiriyama._

1620pm. The buzzing of the cicadas echoed throughout the shrine. Out of impulse, I visited the SAKURAMI SHRINE. It's been a while since I visited this place. I bummed around earlier in my condo. The sheer boredom made me go outside. Well, not only that. Around 0930am, an entry popped out in my diary. To my surprise, his name actually came up.

**July 9 16:30 [Sakurami Shrine]**

_Okugawa, Hiriyama_

He was confronted by his own son and was killed by a gunshot wound.

Hm. So, I'll be the one to kill him. Good. He'll pay for using me. He'll pay for leaving us behind. He'll pay for all the sins he have committed! I will be the judge!

_Woah. Simmer down, landlord. You're getting too deranged! If this keeps up, you'll be worse than me! I'm serious! Calm down!_

Shut up, Shaco! You know nothing of my pain, of my sorrow! You cherished those times when we kill someone! You loved it!

_Tsh. Calm the fuck down, will you?! Do you really think that I don't know how much you suffered? Don't you think that we experienced the same shit too?! Damn it, landlord! You're getting out of hand!_

_Toshiro?_

That voice. That was his voice. Tsh. He's early! I quickly turned around. It was nobody but my Father. He was a few meters away from me. He stood under the shrine's gateway with a briefcase on his left hand. Heh. That might be a weapon. Even so, I have the upper hand. He's old, and slow. I could kill him with a blink of an eye.

"Toshiro. Drop the killer's intent. I want to talk. If you're thinking that I brought a weapon, you're wrong. These are documents, evidences, which I must show to you." Father stated with a weary yet sad look on his face. What is this? I feel no sense of threat from him. Is this a trick of his to make me lower my guard?! "Start talking." I said as I pulled out my Beretta 92 and aimed at his head.

The bearded man kneeled down in front of me. He opened his briefcase and presented it to me. Papers, pictures, and documents were its only contents. I cautiously scanned the documents while I kept my aim on him. Wait. These are…all about me.

_I was a foolish father. I brought you to this world. I didn't had the opportunity to wed your mother because, shortly after you were born, I was given the head position of the Yakuza since your grandfather was killed by one of our rivals. I couldn't decline, and I don't want to bring any danger to you, and your mother. That's why I left you two!_

Lies. Lies. Lies!

_4 years later, I heard an incident in the Kyoto Area. It was a car accident. The Nohiru family was involved. He said you died alongside your mother. I was broken. My dream of raising my own son and giving him a normal life was shattered to pieces. My only son, killed, and I weren't able to neither protect nor save him!_

Shut up! Shut up! I don't want to listen to your excuses! I'll kill you here!

_After hearing that incident, I fell to depression. Gambling, Women, Money. Different vices just to fill the void in my heart. That's when my debt to the Mayor piled up. Soon, it was millions of yen in my debt. I was losing my control over the Yakuza, but then, he approached me with a plan._

Who the hell are you talking about?! You're just passing the blame!

_I approved his plan, and thus destroyed your future. I had known that you were still alive and he was lying all along, I could have stopped him. I can't believe it. My very own brother planned my downfall._

Brother? Is he telling me that Uncle…Okugawa, Ryoske was…

_Your Uncle, Ryoske, played us, used us as his puppets for his rise to power. All of those men that you killed were his rivals. They were my trusted men. Though they were filled vices and all, they were loyal to me. I didn't know that my power was dwindling down since your Uncle acted in the shadows. I attempted to break your phone because the Mayor instructed me. He said if I break it, he'll clear the debt for me, thus I can start over and live a normal life with you, my son!_

It can't be. He must be lying. He's definitely lying! He's just trying to be clean with me! Those documents could be forged! Hardships that you had to suffer as you tried to look me?! Evidence on how desperate you were to save your own son?! Damn it! Damn it all! I will not hesitate! I will…I will…!

_Have you ever thought about hearing his side of the story, landlord? Tsh. You're one selfish guy._

_I'm sorry! I'm sorry Toshiro! I'm a failure! I'm a failure as a lover, as a husband, but more importantly, as your father! Please! Forgive me! Let me atone for your sins! It wasn't your fault! You were lost, and I wasn't there to guide you! Toshiro! Please! Forgive me!_

Father had his face planted on the stone walkway in front of me. He's crying his eyes out, as he asked forgiveness from me. I'm at loss for words. The great Oku-sama of the Yakuza, is bawling his tears in front of me. Why? Why do you have to do this? Just when I steeled my resolve to finish my suffering, you came up with this?! Isn't it too late for us to start over?! Why are you giving me a ray of hope, which I could live normally in this world?! Damn it! Why?!

_The choice is yours, landlord. Kill him or spare him. Either way, it will affect us in the future. Decide, Toshiro._

"Damn it!" I murmured as I slowly lowered my gun. Tears started to fall from my eye. "Toshiro.." Father murmured as he saw my current state of confusion. "I don't know anymore. I just wanted to be normal! I didn't ask for this life! Heck, I regret every sin I have ever done! Please, Father. Please help me. I don't want this. I don't want this.." I tearfully stated as I fell on my knees. Suddenly, I felt his arms around me.

This warm feeling.

This is the feeling that my whole childhood wanted.

This feeling is what I yearned for.

The feeling of having a father.

Minutes passed. We both finally calmed down. "Sheesh. I didn't know that you were a crybaby." I stated to Father, who was busy fixing the documents in his briefcase, as I stared blankly at the dark sky. Oh? Will it rain? We better go back. "Heh. It looks like it passed down to you." He starkly replied with a chuckle. "Shut up." I murmured as I can't help but to laugh at his statement.

Rain drops started to fall down. "Tsk. We better go home before it gets worse." Father stated as he closed the briefcase and stood up. He then reaches out for me. "Let's go home, alright, Toshiro?" He asked with a smile on his face. This is my chance. This is probably my last. I could finally start living normal. I just have to deal with this game though, but I will endure it. For the sake of finally being with my father, I will endure it. "Right." I replied as I took his hand.

"So, how are you and my soon to be daughter-in-law doing?" Father asked as we walked towards the gateway. Wait. Daughter-in-law?! "Uh. We're doing well." I embarrassingly replied. "Hey. Finish your studies first! I don't want to be a grandpa yet! I'm just 41, so I'm too young to be a grandpa!" Father exclaimed with a tremendous vigour. "Uh. Right..?" I replied with a confused tone in my voice as I looked at him with disgusted look on my face. You? Young? Pft. You're young enough to have grandkids already, you knucklehead. "Anyway, once we get back, I want you to meet someone. To be frank, he's your older half-brother. Wait! Before you jump into conclusions, I divorced his mother before I met Shizuka, alright?! I was loyal to your mother!" He exclaimed as he made a suspicious pose. I have an older half-brother? Well, that's a surprise. Though, I already feel like Mist is my older brother of sorts. "Alright, alright. Just introduce me properly." I replied as I started laughing at his pose.

I still can't believe it though. I'm having a normal conversation with my Father. I could only dream of this before, and now, it's finally happening. I can't wait to tell Yu-

**BZZZZZZZZZZZT!**

Huh? That was a static from my phone, right? "Hm? What is it, Toshiro? Was that a mail from Yuno?" Father asked as we stopped in our tracks. "Wait. I'll check." I replied as I pulled out my phone from my pocket.

**July 7 16:45 [Sakurami Shrine]**

_Nohiru, Toshiro_

He failed to save his own Father. He was killed by Eleventh's agents.

**DEAD END**

What? What the hell is this?! When everything was going well for me, this happened! Father's entry was not erased?! Does that mean he'll still die today?! I thought I was the one who'll pull the trigger?! Wait! There might be time left! I must-

**BANG!**

The smell of gunpowder invaded my nasal cavity. I slowly turned my head towards Father. Blood slowly came out from his chest. Someone shot him. Someone shot him straight through his heart. "Father!" I frantically shouted as I caught his falling body. His pulse is getting weaker! Shit! What should I do!? I have to save him! "Toshiro…" He weakly muttered my name as he started to gasp for breaths.

No, no! This can't be happening! Not now! I won't allow this!

"Hold on! We'll get you help! Father! Stay with me!" I shouted as his blood started to soak my right hand. The rain poured down heavily on us. His breathing became heavier. His eyes were slowly closing. No. No! Please! Someone! Help us!

_Run, Toshiro…_

Father?

Father? Hey! Don't die on me! Please! Don't! Don't leave me again! Fatheeeeer!

_This isn't personal, boy. We're just following orders._

A voice came in front of me. I slowly raised my head. 4 men surrounded me. They were wearing police garbs. They killed him. They killed Father, and now, they'll kill me too. I gently laid Father's body on the stone walkway. I want to cry, but there's no tears coming out from my eye. It's like I died inside. I clenched my fist as my rage started to boil inside of me.

I will not forgive any of you.

As soon as one of them tried to stab me with a knife, I quickly responded and countered his attack. As I whipped arm and disarmed him of his weapon, I kicked him away from me. I quickly pulled my Beretta 92 out and aimed at his head.

**BANG!**

His brain membrane splattered across the pavement. "What the hell?! This kid could fight?!" One of them shouted in disbelief as they started to panic. I quickly picked up the disarmed knife and threw it towards one of them. "Ugh!" The man grunted as the knife landed on his throat. His blood started to spew out as his body falls.

"Shit! Damn it!" The panicking attacker shouted out as he tries to pull out his gun. Even before he could touch it, I landed 2 bullets on his knees. "Auuugh!" The man shouted in pain as he fell on his knees. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger. His splattered brain and blood splashed on the pavement.

Kill all of them! Make them pay! Make them suffer!

One last attacker remained. "Die bitch!" The man shouted as he pulled the trigger. I didn't even move. The bullet grazed through my right shoulder. I don't feel any pain. The next bullet grazed my left leg. Tsh. Alright. That's enough. I'll send you to hell. Before I could aim at him, his blood spewed out. As his body falls, Yuno appeared behind him. She was holding her blood-stained trench knife.

_Do you want to bring him back, landlord?_

Of course I do.

_Hmph. I had a conversation once with Deus. He told me that if you win the game and become God, you could bring anyone back from the dead. I think that's enough to make you want to win the game more. _

Yuno. No. This is the wrong time for us to meet each other. At this moment on, I am determined to become God. I will become God and bring Father and Mother back. To do that, I have to win the game. I have to kill Yuno.

"Toshii!" Yuno shouted as she ran towards me. She quickly caught my falling body as all of my strength vanished in my body. "They killed Father…" I murmured as both me and Yuno fell on our knees. "I'm sorry, Toshii. I arrived too late." She replied as she hugged my head tightly.

I have to kill the girl who loves me so much.

I have to.

I have to kill her if I want to become the next God.

"Yuno. I've decided. I'll be the next God." I weakly stated as I pushed away. "What's with the sudden change of heart, Toshii?" Yuno asked with a carefree smile on her face. "I'll bring back Father and Mother! I have to win this game! I have to! Even it means that I have to kill you!" I tearfully exclaimed as I aimed my handgun on her chest. Huh? My hand won't stop shaking. Again, Yuno seemed unfazed and simply smiled at me. She then took my shaking hand and placed the barrel of my handgun on top of her chest. "Do it, Toshii." She said as she caressed my face

What is she doing?! Yuno! Don't do this! I don't want do this!

"My life is yours, Toshii. If I have to die for you, so be it. That's because I love you so much, Toshii." Yuno stated with no trace of fear on her face. She said it. Now I can pull the trigger. I can kill her. This is what you wanted right, Shaco?! Damn it! Damn it all! I could see my depressing look reflected on her loving pink eyes.

My hope.

How could I easily forget? She's my last hope. I might not be able to have a normal life, but I could live on. I could live on with this girl.

This girl that I truly love so much.

_Auuuuuuuuuughhhhh!_

I threw my handgun away. I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to kill her. I just love her too much to do that. "Toshii..?" Yuno murmured with a surprised look on her face. I shouted on top of my lungs. All of my anguish, my sorrow, my sadness, filled my scream. The tears won't stop from falling down. I felt something inside of my snapped. Yuno wrapped her arms around my head. "Shh. It will be okay, Toshii. I promise." She whispered as she pressed my head onto her right shoulder.

I forgot how long I held onto Yuno that tightly. I screamed louder than the roaring thunder. The pain of reality struck me so hard.

To bring back somebody that I longed for, I have to kill the person that I love the most.

This world is so cruel.


End file.
